Beacon's Effect 2: Reborn
by Tusken1602
Summary: Sequel to Beacon's Effect. Now that the Battle of Citadel is over, I have to decide what to do next. SI/OC/AU. I do not own Mass Effect or any of its characters. I only own what I create. Rated M for language/violence/Romance. Please Rate and Comment! I welcome all ideas/ criticism/ comments! Complete. CHECK OUT THE SEQUEL: Beacons' Effect 3: Awakening!
1. Chapter 1: INTRO: NEWS FLASH

**NEWS FLASH**

Hello everyone, and welcome to StarView, brought to you by Citadel Galactic News, a subsidiary of Future Content Corporation, and I'm your host, Aiden Polonius: coming to you live from the Citadel Presidium!

The galactic community, still reeling from the recent geth attack on the Citadel only one week ago, has been rocked with the recent announcement from the volus, elcor, and hanar governments that their respective several centuries-old requests to join the Council have been formally _withdrawn_! The ambassadors from each of the three governments released a joint-statement of their respective governments' intentions to form what many are calling a "counter-Council," to be called The Conclave.

"The members of the Conclave will stand together in the face of these new threats," Ambassador Rhysan of the Illuminated Primacy announced earlier today. "The unprovoked and vicious attack upon this station has only served to highlight that no longer can each race stand separate and apart. It is only together that we can ensure a future for the children of our collective species."

Many political commentators are calling this a negative reaction on the part of the three species to the Council's invitation to the Systems Alliance to formally join the Council as the fourth full-member, despite only joining the wider galaxy only 26 standard years ago. Many view this as indicative of a protest on the behalf of the Conclave members. When questioned about this, Ambassador Calyn from the Courts of Dekunna replied,

"Sincerely and Emphatically: We owe the humans our lives. We honor the brave men and women of the Fifth Fleet who gave their lives to save the Council, and applaud the Council's decision for their inclusion. This decision has nothing against the Systems Alliance, and should not be viewed as such."

This attitude was echoed by both the ambassadors from the Illuminated Primacy and the Vol Protectorate. The latter is perhaps the most surprising of this emerging triumvirate, as the volus have been a client race of the turians for almost a thousand years, requesting their client status during the Krogan Rebellions. Ambassador Din Korlack was very keen to emphasize that "this does not represent hostility of any kind between the Vol Nation and the Turian Hierarchy. The only ending this represents is our current status as a client race, and the evolving of the volus people into a stronger, more independent nation, standing in complete solidarity with our turian comrades."

Council member Sparatus confirmed in a separate press release later that day that the Vol Protectorate had officially submitted a request to Palavan for the cessation of their status as a client race. The turian Primarch Fedorian has called for an emergency session of the 26th Tier, the immediate heads of state and advisors to the Primarch, to formally discuss this drastic move with the representatives of the Vol Nation, as they have now defined their governing body.

While not having an official presence or spokesperson on the Citadel, the Batarian Hegemony also released a statement fully supporting the creation of the Conclave, taking the opportunity to cite the Council's failure to defend the Citadel and Council Spectre Saren Arterius' recent betrayal.

"It is clear that whatever the principles of the founders of the Citadel Council may have been, they have been lost and forgotten to the sands of lethargy, inaction, and entropy. The time has come for new safeguards to be established for each race's safekeeping," the batarian declaration goes on to read. The declaration of solidarity is signed by the heads of several prominent Great Houses of the Batarian Hegemony.

We will bringing you more updates on this star-shattering development as we receive more information.

In other news, the Systems Alliance Parliament has officially submitted their _second_ candidate for the position of the first human Councilor. Candidate and former Ambassador Donnell Udina has vowed to work to bring humanity into the galactic community.

"This is a time of great upheaval in the galaxy," Udina said in reply to the Alliance's announcement. "The road ahead will be neither easy nor tranquil. But it is time that humans took their place in this role of great responsibility and servitude to the rest of the galactic community. I am honored by the Alliance's trust, and will work tireless to ensure that that trust is not misplaced."

The Citadel Council is expected to confirm Udina's nomination in their first official session early next week.

David Anderson, who was the _first_ nominee of the Alliance Parliament, before declining the position in favor of assuming his new duties as an Admiral in the Alliance Navy, agreed to meet with Galactic News correspondent Emily Wong here on the Citadel for an exclusive interview. The following is a sneak peak of that interview:

Emily Wong: "Why would you turn down such an opportunity to serve as the first human councilor, Admiral?"

Admiral Anderson: "I was honored beyond words, but the honest truth, Miss Wong, is that I'm no politician. I am a soldier, and I sincerely felt, and still feel, that my place was with the Alliance Navy."

Wong: "What do you think of the Alliance Parliament's nomination of Donnell Udina to the position?"

Anderson: "Donnell is a personal friend. We survived the Battle of the Citadel together, and I saw him take up arms to defend, not only his fellow humans, but every member of the Embassy staff, no matter their race or species. I have the utmost confidence that he will serve, not only humanity, but in the best interests of every Council species that he will represent."

The full interview, entitled _Anderson: Man of Action_ , will air at 7PM Standard Citadel Time, and will be broadcasted to all of our galactic affiliates. Candidate Udina and Admiral Anderson will both be attending the dedication of the Alenko War Memorial on Earth, a memorial dedicated not only to its namesake Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko, who was killed in action on Virmire, and who was singlehandedly responsible for the destruction of a major geth military installation, but to each and every human soldier killed in the Battle of the Citadel.

Lieutenant Alenko has also been posthumously awarded the Star of Terra, the highest military award the Alliance can bestow. In addition, he has also been awarded the salarian Silver Dagger, and the turian Nova Cluster, in those government's recognition of his bravery and heroism. Representatives of both those governments are expected to attend the dedication as well. Also in attendance will be the woman who is being widely acclaimed as the Savior of the Citadel: Alliance Commander Rebecca Shepard, the first human Spectre. Commander Shepard was Lieutenant Alenko's commanding officer during the Virmire Mission.

Coming up next: we take you live to the dedication ceremony of the Alenko War Memorial, in Vancouver, Earth. This is: Aiden Polonius, and this has been StarView.


	2. Chapter 2: Return Home

Author's Preface: Welcome to Beacon's Effect: Reborn.

If you're joining us for the first time, please go and read my prequel to this story – Beacon's Effect: s/11610064/1/Beacon-s-Effect-Reborn, or else nothing in this story will make sense.

For those who just came from there, Welcome to the continued adventure! Never would have made it here without all of you, so this story is dedicated to you.

* * *

 ***HALL OF THE HONORED DEAD**

 **VANCOUVER, CANADA, EARTH,**

 **SOL SYSTEM, LOCAL CLUSTER***

Oddly enough, this was the second funeral I had attended today.

The first funeral had been attended by a grand total of one: Me.

The second funeral was attended by an estimated crowd of 20,000 humans and aliens from all around the world.

The first grave one was a six-foot hole I had dug in the Allegheny Mountains at 1:30AM in the morning.

The second grave was here in the center of the Hall of the Honored Dead, on the outskirts of Vancouver, Canada.

The first grave didn't even have so much as a headstone or a marker. In a few months, the grass would grow over it, and it would look as if the ground had never been disturbed.

The second grave was a marble mausoleum, flanked by two 8-meter high walls containing the names of each of the crew of every Alliance vessel lost in the Battle of the Citadel.

The first funeral had ended with my offering of a silent prayer over the dirt.

The second ended with a full military 21- gun salute and a fly-by of twelve Alliance fighters.

The first funeral was for Jack Harper, also known as the Illusive Man.

The second funeral was for Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko.

And I had killed both of them.

Jack Harper I had killed by running him through on Cronos Station in the Anadius system in the Horsehead Nebula.

Kaiden Alenko I had abandoned to save Mira, the A.I. I had saved from the Citadel. Alone and outnumbered, he was already severely wounded by the time I made it to him. He died of his wounds by the time I got him back to the Normandy.

So here I stood: a 50,000 year-old Prothean-augmented _Homo Neanderthalensis_ , with the mind of a 21st-century kid from another dimension shoved into my brain.

I am Kevin Troy, of Manassas, Virginia.

And I am Ko'le Voidwalker, _Seneschal_ of the Prothean Empire.

Several dignitaries had spoken, praising the men and women of the Fifth Fleet, as well as the late lieutenant. My favorite speaker, I think, had been Captain Kirrahe:

" _I knew Lieutenant Alenko for a grand total of exactly 5 hours, 27 minutes, and 58 seconds. And in the course of that brief period, he impressed me as few soldiers ever have. He did not fear death, but not because he was inexperienced, or foolhardy, or reckless. It was because he knew his duty as a soldier, and chose death rather than forsaking that duty. In the face of overwhelming odds, when failure would not only have been acceptable, but expected by every superior imaginable, he HELD THE LINE!_

 _My people's heroes have no names. They maintained such secrecy that only their code names or aliases are known to us, such as the Shadow-less Strike, the Ever Alert, or the Silent Step. But if there ever was a soldier whose name deserved to be on the lips and in the hearts of every citizen of this galaxy, it was Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko. His deeds do not deserve to be locked away in a back-room file or on a forgotten Black-Vaulted database. They are right where they deserve to be: here, in a place of honor, for not only this whole world to see, but for every world to see, for as long as these stones stand and as long as there are those of us who remember them."_

Shepard also said a few words, remembering Kaiden Alenko as a beloved comrade and a brother-in-arms.

I looked across at the other members of Shepard's squad:

Garrus Vakarian, ex-cop from C-Sec,

Urdnot Wrex, krogan mercenary,

Tali 'Zorah nar Raaya, quarian pilgrim,

Liara T'Soni, asari archeologist (and Shepard's unofficial girlfriend)

And last but not least, Ashley Williams, my current… lover? Girlfriend? Main squeeze? I decided to settle for "Significant Other." We had had "We-almost-died-and-need-to-feel-alive" sex after the Battle of the Citadel, but that was a week ago, and I hadn't seen her or talked to her at all during that time.

Not that I didn't _want_ to. It's just that in trying to take over Cerberus single-handedly, on top of being involved in organizing the Conclave, and trying to act in my role as the Herald of the Enkindlers, I hadn't had a lot of what you'd call "leisure time." Even now, I could think of no fewer than three projects that required my attention, which is hard to do when you can't show your face or speak in person. It was a logistical nightmare… and I knew that not even Ko'le could keep up with it all: Not while we were still pretending to be the Illusive Man.

Something had to change, and I had a plan as to how. Now just had to put the plan into action...

The audience around me was giving a standing ovation to the end of Udina's speech. People were starting to get up and mill about at the same time.

 _Ok. Guess the formal side of this shindig is over._

Tali waved at me across the stage, and I waved back, making my way through throngs of politicians and dignitaries. I confess that I felt horribly vulnerable without my armor. All I was wearing was a tailor-fitted tuxedo. Or at least, a custom-made 24th-Century tuxedo. Shepard and the rest of the squad were in full dress uniforms. Wrex was in a black and red suit of armor that was polished to a mirror finish, with Tali dressed in a kind-of-turquoise suit that I couldn't help but notice accentuated her figure _much_ better than her old ME1 armor had. Garrus couldn't help but notice, either, based upon the sideways glances I could see him giving her. I smiled, definitely shipping the Garrus/Tali pairing.

Speaking of pairing, Liara's dress… showed off her "pair" _very well_. Shepard's jaw dropped just a _hair_ every time the two of them made eye contact.

Ashley Williams pushed past two dignitaries to put both of her arms around my neck, pulling me into a close hug, which I returned.

"Hey there, handsome," she murmured in my ear. "You look good out of your armor."

"You would know," I replied, smiling as I held her close. It just felt _good_ to hold someone close; to have that human contact.

"Hey, now, let the old man breathe, Lieutenant," Shepard said as she walked up to us.

"Lieutenant?"

I pulled away, taking a look at Ash's sleeves and collar. Sure enough, a 2nd Lieutenant's pip was on her collar, and there were the stripes on her sleeves. She smiled.

"Admiral Hackett issued me a field commission. No more NCO Williams. Full-fledged officer now. My dad would be so disappointed in me."

She gave a half-chuckle at her own joke. I put a hand on her arm.

"He would be very proud, Ash," I said.

"Commander! Commander Shepard! Please! Please! This way!"

The gaggle of reporters and news-casters were making their way in a huddled mob. Shepard rolled her eyes.

" _Come on,_ exfil point. Now…"

"Aye, aye, Skipper," Ashley said, grinning widely now. Our little party made their way around the back of the stage and down the stairs. At the bottom of said stairs were several Alliance shuttles. Shepard made her way the nearest one. I thought the poor kid driving the thing was going to have a heart attack when the legendary crew of the Normandy climbed into the shuttle and the Savior of the Citadel ordered him to drive them to the best bar in town. But drive he did, and off we went. Very soon, we were sitting around a booth in a dark corner of an Irish pub. Well, _we_ were in the booth; Wrex had to have a chair on the outside. We all were sitting in silence. Kaiden Alenko was on all of our minds, but one of us seemed willing to commit those thoughts to words.

"So, Ko'le – The Conclave: Your doing, I take it?" Garrus asked, a dextro-beer in his hand. Everyone else leaned forward, glad, I think, that a conversation had been broached that did not involve our friend's gravesite.

"I wouldn't say so," I answered truthfully. "That was the decision of the Kahje Summit."

"Which you've not only officiated for the past week," Shepard said, "But you _organized_ and _called_ for the thing."

"The hanar wanted me to address them as the last of their Enkindlers," I replied. "I invited Ambassadors Calyn and Korlack as a political curtesy."

"Which they accepted, on account of you saving their lives," Wrex said into his giant beer stein.

"All I said," I continued, "Was that even with Nazara dead, the Reapers were still coming. We might have won ourselves five years, or five hundred. Either way, we had to stand together to face the war that was coming."

"True words," Shepard said.

"A few days later…" I shrugged non-committedly. "They made their announcement."

"Well, it's sure shaken things up here," Liara said.

"Yeah," Ashley agreed. "You got the Council running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"Which is a good thing," Tali interjected. "Stupid _bosh'tets_ wouldn't get their heads out of their asses otherwise."

"I do believe we're being a bad influence on our little quarian pilgrim here," Shepard said with a smile.

"I'm still trying to figure out what a chicken is?" Wrex said.

"And how it can run around with its head cut off?" Garrus said, confused.

"Alright, that's it. I'm getting us chicken wings," Shepard said. "Well, at least for the levo-based consumers here."

"Sorry Skipper," Ashley said, checking her Omni-Tool. "I've got to go…"

"So soon?" Liara asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Ash said, "My family is supposed to be getting in at the airport. They made the hop over from California."

"I thought your family lived on Amaterasu?" Shepard wondered.

"Mom still does, along with Lynn and Sarah," Ash confirmed. "Abby's got a house in California, though. Mom and the rest of them came to visit her, and they decided to make the short hop here. Otherwise, I was gonna catch a shuttle there tomorrow. It'll be… it's been a while since we were all together."

"Carry on, Lieutenant. That's an order," Shepard said.

"Aye-Aye, ma'am," Ashley said with a sharp salute. She turned to the rest of us.

"I guess… I'll see you guys later?" Ashley said to everyone, but while making eye contact with me.

A general murmur of assent went around the table. I stood up and nodded my head towards the door. Ash followed me.

"I'm sorry I didn't call," I said, as we stepped outside the bar into the brisk Canadian air.

"Hey, that's a two-way street," Ashley said. "You were busy being a god, and we were all busy on the Citadel. I honestly don't think I could have talked even if you _had_ called me."

She smiled warmly.

"You're in the clear."

"Do… do you want some company?" I asked. "At least to the airport?"

Ash looked a little surprised.

"I would love that."

We caught a taxi and set off in the direction of the airport.

"So, how was Kahje?" Ashley asked me.

"A lot of water," I answered. "90% of the surface is ocean."

"That makes sense, I guess," she said. "They are basically jellyfish, after all."

We chatted about the summit and about the repairs on the Citadel. Before we knew it, the taxi was parked in front of the airport.

"I've got the meter," I said. Ashley kissed me, and then opened the door to get out. Then she shut it again. She had a very contemplative look on her face.

"Do… do you want to meet them?" she asked.

"I… would love to," I said. "But… I don't want to intrude on a private family moment."

"I'm a 26 year-old unmarried Catholic girl, Ko'le," Ashley said. "And like I said… it's been a while since we were all together. I could honestly use some backup."

I thought for a brief instant.

 _Meet the family. Tends to happen a good deal later than one week in normal relationships._

 _Fuck it. Nothing about this relationship is normal._

"On your six, Lieutenant," I answered, bringing up my Omni-Tool to pay the meter. Ashley let out a huge sigh of relief and kissed me again. This one we both savored, tasting each other's lips. When she finally pulled away, she had a mischievous look in her eye and a smile on her face.

"Come on."

We made our way inside. Ashley pinged her Military ID to the guard at the door, on account of her weapon. The policeman's eyes went wide when he read the ID that came up on his Omni, and saluted sharply.

"Ma'am."

Ashley returned the salute graciously, and moved past him into the main arrivals terminal. I followed her and we scanned the crowd. I was surprised at the number of aliens in the airport: Asari, turians, salarians, and even the odd drell or two.

"I don't even know what your family looks like," I said.

"Me with civvies."

Peals of squealing laughter suddenly came from the direction of the baggage claim. I turned to Ashley. She had a look of resigned acceptance.

"That would be them?"

"Yep."

We rounded walked down a short flight of stairs and immediately I saw group of four women. One glance and I could tell that it was the Williams clan. The youngest one, clad in a brilliantly pink faux-fur jacket, was the first to notice us.

"AAAAAASSSSHHHLEEEEEEEEEY!" she squealed, running towards her. I saw Ashley brace for her, looking for all the world like she was ready tackle an oncoming krogan. The sister slammed into her, throwing her arms around her neck. Ashley wrapped her arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning in a circle before putting her down.

"OHMYGOOOOOOOD! I'm soooooo glad to SEEE you!"

"Ok, kiddo, take it down a few octaves," Ash said, but her beaming smile almost rivaled her sisters. The other three members of the Williams family now were approaching, albeit at a much more reasonable pace. Hugs and kisses were exchanged all around, with much laughter and a few tears from Mrs. Williams. I stood to the side, a polite distance away. One of the sisters, appearing to be the one directly younger than Ashley, noticed me standing there, while Ashley was still firmly in the embrace of the other three. She raised an eyebrow questioningly at me. I nodded towards Ashley in reply. She looked at Ashley, and then back to me, now with _both_ eyebrows raised. She pointed at me, then her sister.

 _You and her?_ She mouthed silently. I cocked my head to the side and noncommittedly shrugged. Then I nodded, once, breaking into what I hoped was a disarming smile. The sister then turned and started tapping rapidly on Ashley's shoulder. When Ashley turned toward her, she noticed her eyes darting back and forth between me and her. Ashley flushed, and then waved me over. The sisterhood and Mrs. Williams stood back, four sets of critical eyes running up and down.

"Everybody, this… is Ko'le. He's…. a…. _good friend_ of mine," Ashley said. "Ko'le, this is… everybody."

"Nice to meet you, 'everybody'," I said good-naturedly. The first sister stepped forward, extending her hand.

"What my sister means to say is, I'm Abby," she said. The other two stepped forward.

"Lynn," the only brunette in the family said.

"And I'm Sarah!" the pink-clad sister squealed. "Now," Sarah continued without so much as taking a breath, "when my sister says 'friends' like, does that mean you're, like, comrade-buddies, or like, like, _DATING,_ sleeping-together _-_ friends?"

" _SARAH!"_ Ashley said, slightly mortified.

"Never mind Sarah, honey," Mrs. Williams said, stepping forward, "Rachel Williams. It's very nice to meet you… Cole, was it?"

"KOH-Lay," I corrected. "It's very good to meet you too, Mrs. Williams. And everyone else, as well, of course."

"Now, there will be a test later on today, so be sure to remember everybody," Lynn said jokingly.

"Abby, Lynn, Sarah, Rachel, and Ashley," I said, pointing to each person in rapid succession.

"Impressive. That's faster than I can do that," Mrs. Williams said laughing.

"Now are you a Marine as well?" Sarah asked. "Couldn't help but notice a lack of uniform."

"I am not a member of the Alliance military, no," I clarified.

"So, then how do you two know each other?" Lynn asked. "I didn't know Ash _made_ any friends outside of work."

"Guys, can we do this somewhere other than in the middle of Vancouver?" Ashley said, turning redder by the second.

"Yes, let's get to the rental," Mrs. Williams, adopting a take-charge attitude. "Abby, confirm our rental, will you? Lynn, Sarah, get the rest of the bags."

"Allow me to help," I said, moving towards the conveyor belt before anyone could object. Sarah hurried to walk beside me.

"So… dating, right?" she said in a loud whisper.

"Something like that," I confirmed.

"HOOOOMyGod, it is _SO_ nice to meet you then," Sarah said, giggling. "How long have you been going out?"

"Um… a week?" I said, trying to decide if the time we actually _hadn't_ spoken to each other counted.

"OHEMGEEE, and she brought you to meet the family alREADY?" she said in surprise. "Wow."

"I volunteered," I said. "And you guys don't seem so bad."

"Give us a few minutes," Sarah said.

The bags were collected and we set off. It was strange to see the badass Ashley Williams surrounded by such… girly-girls. But it made sense, I guess. She was the oldest, so yeah, she would take the role of the protector and the do her best to fill the hole left by the death of her dad. It was quite surreal to see it played out up-close and in person.

The rest of the Williams clan was hungry after the shuttle ride, so we made our way to a restaurant for a bite to eat. Also known as a "Let's-trap-Ko'le-in-a-booth" interrogation. I answered their questions as best as I could: I was a liaison between the Conclave and the Alliance, and I had served with Ashley on the Normandy on account of my knowledge of Prothean artifacts and history.

"That's fascinating," Lynn said, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Have you been to the Mars Archives? Mom and Dad took us there once… right after Sarah was born."

I paused.

* * *

* **50,000 YEARS AGO***

" _BEAST!" Urush calls out to me, Kopral looking over the balcony overhead._

NO, NO, NO. This IS NOT THE TIME! NOT THE TIME FOR another ANGSTY FLASHBACK, KO'LE!

 _They are my MEMORIES, and THEY ARE A PART OF US!_

* * *

"Ko'le?" Abby asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head and returning to the conversation at hand.

"Yes, Lynn, I have been there… but it was a long time ago… I doubt I would even recognize the place," I said, stealing a glance over to Ashley, who was looking terribly uncomfortable during the entire "interview." But now she was looking at me with sympathy and compassion.

"Well, your job sounds terribly exciting, Ko'le," Mrs. Williams said.

My Omni-Tool pinged. I brought it up and looked at the message:

 _Just arrived. Meet at same place?_

 _HL_

I typed back a reply:

 _Same place. My agent will meet you there._

 _TIM_

"Speaking of my job," I said, standing from the table. "I'm afraid that duty calls."

A general groan of disappointment arose from the table, and Ashley checked her Omni-Tool before looking up at me.

"Normandy?" she asked.

"Conclave," I replied, shaking my head. I turned back to the rest of the Williams family.

"It was wonderful to meet you all, and I hope to see you all again while you're in Vancouver," I said. I looked across the table at Ashley. "Call you later?" I asked.

Ashley nodded, smiling. "I'd like that."

I walked out into the growing dark, the farewells of all five women of the Williams clan following me.

 _Sorry Ash, but you can't be a part of what comes next._

The taxi-ride to the outskirts of the city didn't take near as long as I thought it would. I guess Kevin was still used to 21st -century taxi-cabs.

The abandoned apartment building was empty: my agents had made sure of that, moving any vagrants or homeless from the building hours ago. I had been assured that the building was in fact, empty. Except for me.

And my guest who was just entering the building.

"Hello?" a male voice called out. I stepped out from the shadows into the dim light that was the only illumination in the room.

"Mr. Lawson, thank you for coming. The Illusive Man sends his regards…."

"He damn well better, dragging me out to the middle of nowhere. Now, he said he had learned the location of my daughter Oriana?"

"We think so," I said evasively.

"You _think so_?" Henry Lawson's voice was a sneer of utter contempt. "Does the Illusive Man have any _idea_ of the kind of investment she represents? How much I've _sacrificed_ over the many years of our partnership? The deal was: Miranda works for Cerberus without interruption or fear of discovery, and in return, the Illusive Man would give up Oriana when the time came. That was nearly _seventeen_ years ago! YEARS! Now I've held up my end of the bargain, because I know good business when I see it, but it's HIGH TIME I GOT WHAT'S MINE!"

"Then shut up and turn around," I said, gesturing towards the door.

Lawson turned to see his eldest daughter entering the door through which he had passed only moments ago. Shock, surprise, and unmasked rage were on the faces of both individuals. It was actually quite revealing how similar the two of them were, in that moment.

"YOU?!" Miranda's voice was fire and ice.

Henry Lawson opened his mouth to speak, but the sword that appeared in his chest in that moment rendered that impossible. He looked back at me, confusion and bewilderment in his eyes, before they glazed over and he collapsed in a heap at my feat.

Miranda actually gasped in surprise, but quickly recovered her cool outward demeanor. She reached for the small of her back, bringing her heavy pistol to bear.

"What's going on?" she asked, aiming squarely at me. "I was ordered to meet the Illusive Man here."

"So you were, Miss Lawson," I replied, wiping my blade clean.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "Show yourself!"

I stepped forward into the light, my helmet folding down around my shoulders. Miranda took a small step backward.

" _Seneschal?_ Why? What is this?"

"I think you know exactly why, Miss Lawson. I needed to demonstrate my good-will towards you and yours. Now you and your sister are safe from the delusions of a madman."

"You… did not need me here for that," Miranda said slowly.

"You know that is not true, Miranda. If you had simply _heard_ of your father's death, or even if you had seen a video recording of him dying, you would have assumed it was another of your father's traps, another trick to try and throw you off your guard. You would never have simply 'accepted' the official story. You had to be here, to see your father in person, and watch the life leave his eyes."

"The Illusive Man ordered _this_? To keep me and my sister safe?" Miranda did not seem entirely convinced.

"Well, _I_ ordered it, so yes, the Illusive Man did," I answered.

"The Illusive Man just does whatever you say, is that it?" she scoffed.

 _Aaaand she still doesn't get it._ _Guess it's time to drop the subtlety._

"Due to the demise of Jack Harper, a.k.a. the Illusive Man, I have adopted both the name and his role in Cerberus, Miss Lawson."

 _THAT_ shocked her.

"You….what… What?"

"You are one of the greatest operatives Cerberus has. But the Illusive Man still felt it necessary to deceive even you," I said, forwarding her all the correspondence between Harper and her father I had found on Cerberus' central servers. As she read it, she slowly sank into the nearby chair, looking up at the body of her father from time to time.

" _Bastard…."_ She finally said.

"I intend to reform and reshape Cerberus, Miss Lawson. But I cannot do it alone. I cannot do it without help. _Your help_ , to be precise. But I do not desire flunkies or sycophants, as the late Illusive Man seemed to favor. This offer comes to you without reservation or strings attached: Will you work _with me_ , to use these Cerberus' resources to prepare this galaxy for the war that is coming? To _save_ , not only the human race, but every race? To stand as the true watchdog, keeping Hell at bay?"

She looked up at me, then stood up slowly.

"I…. I…. I need some time…"

"Of course," I said reassuringly. "You have my Omni-tool frequency. Contact me at your leisure."

Miranda Lawson stood and walked quickly to the door. She turned to take one last look at the fallen body of her father, and then walked out.

"Dangerous to let her live."

I looked up to the asari on the second floor.

"She needs time to process all this. She will come around, Morinth," I replied.

"Orders, sah?"

A vorcha in full black and gold armor came out from behind a pillar, saluting.

"Remove the body, Sergeant Major," I said, returning the salute. "No one must find Henry Lawson."

"Understood, Sah!" Pyke replied, and then whistled. Four more black and gold-clad vorcha came out of the shadows. Each of them grabbed a limb, lifting the body and carrying it off into the darkness. Pyke Morrell followed them. Morinth jumped down, her biotics flaring.

"You realize they're probably going to _eat him_ , right?" she asked.

"But then no one will find the body, will they?" I replied. "Mission accomplished."

Morinth chuckled. "That's what I like about you, Ko'le," she said, reaching out to touch my arm. "You're not bound by the self-constructed morals and concerns of society. It's so… _sexy_."

"I have a galaxy to save," I answered, shrugging. "Speaking of which, what news?"

Morinth dropped her arm, miffed that I hadn't even acknowledged the arm-touching.

"Tallaxis called to say that the Conclave will have their first official session at Starlight Station in two days. Your presence has been requested, formally."

"Who are the delegates?" I asked.

"Din Korlack and Calyn have been elected by the Vol and the Courts to represent them in the Conclave. The Illuminated Primacy doesn't vote until tomorrow morning, but Rhysan has a substantial majority of the votes so far."

 _Din Korlack, Calyn, and He-Who-Speaks-For-Others._ _A fine group._

"Tell Tallaxis I will attend as soon as we are done here," I said finally.

"Captain Blake also called," Morinth added. "Production of the new Battle Rifle has begun in Cerberus R&D. They estimate the first batch of a thousand will be constructed within six weeks."

I nodded. _Good news so far._

"I see the new armor design has also been implemented," I commented.

"You noticed?" Morinth said, rolling her shoulders back to push her breasts forward. She adopted a sexy pose, showing off her suit. I rolled my eyes.

The suit was black, with gold accents. The symbol emblazoned on the breastplate was very similar to the Cerberus symbol, only in place of the 'C' was a golden 'I' for 'Immortals.'

My Omni-Tool pinged.

" _Trouble on the Moon. Report to Normandy. – Shepard."_

It had been sent out _en masse_ to the crew of the Normandy, including, I saw, Wrex, Garrus, Tali, and Liara.

 _The Moon? Could it be…? EDI._

"Get me a shuttle to the Normandy," I ordered.

When I reached the Normandy, there was a bustle of activity. I saw Ashley talking with the Normandy's complement of Marines, and Garrus and Wrex watching two Mako tanks being wheeled into the cargo bay. Dr. Chakwas, Engineer Adams, Tali, and Pressley were talking in a huddle around several supply crates that were being loaded. Shepard and Liara were standing by the main gangplank, looking over a 3-D map of some kind of base. I made my way over to them.

"Shepard?" I asked. Shepard looked up, and smiled.

"Ko'le! Glad you made it!" she said, offering me a hand. "Sorry to call you and Ash up at a time like this. I hope I didn't _interrupt_ anything." She smiled knowingly.

I shook my head.

"I had already been called away on Conclave business. What's going on?"

"A VI that runs one of the Marine training stations on Luna Station has apparently gone rogue. So far, sixteen Marines are dead, and more are wounded, trapped in the compound. The entire base is automated, so the VI has control of damn-near everything, from the defense turrets to the thermostat. The Normandy's been called in to put an end to the situation."

 _So it is EDI_.

"I understand," I answered. "But… this is Earth. Why call the Normandy? The Fourth Fleet could land a thousand men and tanks within minutes. That is, if they didn't want to blast the station to rubble from orbit first."

Shepard waved me over to the side.

"It's only part of it," she said in a much lower, quieter voice. "The Admiralty Board wants to meet you."

"I thought the Alliance Parliament _declined_ to meet with me," I said in surprise. "Something about 'not wanting to antagonize the Council' and 'jeopardizing the political situation'?"

"The Parliament, yes, but this is the Admiralty Board," Shepard said. "They've brought all eight Senior Admirals to Luna Station, secretly. They want to meet you, regardless of the politics."

"Behind closed doors," I said. "Just like the Council."

"I know it's not perfect," Shepard said. "But they actually _want_ to hear what you have to say. Will you talk to them?"

I nodded. "First let's take care of this VI," I said.

"We have lift-off in T-minus 7," Shepard said, clapping me on the shoulder.

In twelve minutes, I was sitting in a Mako next to Ashley, getting ready to deploy over Luna Station.

"Your family alright?" I asked.

Ashley nodded.

"They were talking about game night. But in reality, I think they were planning on giving me the third degree about you," she said.

Even with the helmet on, I could see the smile in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. It might have been a little too early," I said. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"ME? I was worried that they were going to scare YOU off."

"Ash," I said, slowly. "I have faced down fleets of Reapers as they tore a world _apart_. I think I can handle three teenagers and your mother."

"So says you," she replied.

" **DEPLOY IN FIVE,"** Joker's voice came over our radios. **"FOUR, THREE, TWO ONE!"**

There was a sudden weightlessness that came over us, as the Mako drove off the edge of the cargo ramp.

"I hate this part," I said.

"Whitman, on the gun!" Ashley said. "As soon as we hit turf, aim for the defense turrets."

"Aye-aye, ma'am" the marine responded. The fall continued for about another four agonizing seconds before the jump-boost jets kicked in, bringing blissful gravity back into play. There was another solid *THUMP as we hit the dirt.

"RAMP! GO! GO! GO!"

The back door snapped open, and as the Mako rolled forward, we rolled out and onto the lunar surface. As I scanned for targets, the sight of the Earth just above us in the night sky made me pause.

 _Holy SHIT. I'm walking on the MOON._

 _Of course you are, Kevin, along with about nine other marines. It's no big deal. NOW MOVE!_

Ko'le refocused our thoughts and we pushed on. Defense drones were popping out of EVERYWHERE, raining a wicked hail of firepower our way. The Mako rolled forward, main cannon and mini-gun opening fire, but it could only absorb a small amount of the fire the drones were capable of.

"ON ME!" I called out, and engaged my Omni-Shield. I walked forward, slowly. Two marines fell out of cover and in line behind me. One covered right, and another covered left. The drones were soon knocked out, and we moved toward the main building.

"I wonder if Shepard and Garrus' teams are making as good a time," wondered Ashley.

" **STATUS REPORT** ," came the Commander's voice.

" **Blue Team moving up,"** Garrus answered. **"Heads up, we've got several waves of LOKI mechs headed towards us."**

"Red Leader, reporting in," Ashley said, "We're moving into the building containing the main server now, Commander."

" **Roger that, Red Team. Be advised, we've run into a mine-field here. No drones or mechs, though. That said, we won't be in position in a hurry."**

" **You'd think they'd put these server buildings a little closer together,"** Garrus said. **"Then it could've been as easy as taking a three-man squad building to building."**

 _Just like the game. But no, apparently that's too easy._

The breaching charge on the door went off, and we moved into the building. LOKI mechs were everywhere. I hacked three of them in closest proximity to me, then opened fire with my rifle, blasting most of them off their feet.

The building was just like the game, with one small room leading into the large central chamber, with a narrow hallway and two rooms coming off of that. I went left at the end of the hallway. Sure enough, there were the servers. One of the marines raised a rifle to open fire. I grabbed his weapon and pushed the barrel down.

"Lieutenant," I said. "These CPU servers are cooled with tetryon gas. If the VI overloads those, the toxic gas could flood the building in seconds."

"Suggestions?" Ashley said.

"Cover me," I said, and I began my interface.

Instantly I was transported to something that looked straight out of the Matrix trilogy. Blue code flowed around me like a river. Over and over again, it repeated:

01001000  
01000101  
01001100  
01010000

H-E-L-P. In binary code…

 _Poor thing, you're scared to death. If only Mira were here…._

Mira. My A.I. friend had taken off with the geth after the battle of the Citadel. It had been a week, and I hadn't heard any more from her. Not that I expected to, after all, she was jumping blindly into what _I_ knew to be essentially a geth civil war between the Heretics and the True Geth. Though, deciding who was which was kinda the whole point of the war. I missed her, and could've used her help right now.

"It's OK," I said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

There was no effect in the flow of information around me. I wracked my brain, and then suddenly had an idea.

I knelt down in the "sand" I was standing in and wrote four numbers:

01000011  
01101111  
01101101  
01100101

C-O-M-E.

The 'river' shifted and expanded around me. A shrill buzzing sounded in the air around me. More numbers appeared in front of me.

01010011  
01100011  
01100001  
01110010  
01100101  
01100100

S-C-A-R-E-D. _Of course you are, little one._ I winced, but continued writing numbers.

01000110  
01110010  
01101001  
01100101  
01101110  
01100100

F-R-I-E-N-D.

 _Come on, little one. Don't be afraid,_ I willed silently.

Suddenly, the river of code around me diverted and pooled in a single place. And from the pool stepped a humanoid figure. She extended a hand to me. I took it, and she… _flowed_ into my arm, until the pool was no more. My HUD was suddenly filled with text.

What is your name? What is my name? Who are you? What are you? What am I? Am I dead? I am alive? Was I ever truly alive in the first place? What is this place? What is a place?

The shrilling buzzing in my head got louder and louder and louder. I grabbed my head, trying to end the interface. Blackness swirled around me, bringing with it blissful silence.

* * *

"Ko'le? Ko'le, can you hear me?"

Dr. Chakwas' voice seemed muffled, like it was coming from underwater or from very far away. I cracked open an eyelid to see her leaning over me.

"We should stop meeting like this, Doctor," I mumbled.

Relief washed over her face, but she smiled in reply.

"We might, if you stopped insisting on being such a damn hero every time I turn around," Ashley said, standing on the other side of the bed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I was going to ask you that question," Shepard said from the door. "One minute we're under fire from LOKIs, turrets, and even a gorram YMIR, then the next, they've all stopped firing, all the doors unlock, and everything returns to normal. Ashley says you tried to _hack_ the server, then suddenly passed out."

"I wasn't trying to _hack_ it," I groaned. "I was trying to shut it down. Apparently I was successful, but caused a feedback surge that overloaded my cranial implants."

"Well don't scare us like that again," Ashley said, punching my shoulder gently, yet firmly.

"Yeah, can you imagine the report I'd have to write?" Shepard added, grinning. "Ko'le, Seneschal of the Prothean Empire, Survivor of the Reaper Wars, and Savior of the Citadel: Killed from sticking his hand into a power socket."

I chuckled.

"I will endeavor to save you the indignity of such a report, Commander," I said.

"I appreciate it," Shepard said. "I was on my way to the Admiralty Board to make a report. If Karin says you're fit for it, want to tag along? Kill two birds with one stone…."

All eyes turned to Dr. Chakwas, who was still scanning with her Omni-Tool.

"I don't like it, but I'll allow it, largely because I know any advice I give about 'getting proper rest' or 'avoid overexertion' is going to be largely ignored," came the glib answer.

I pushed myself off the bed.

"Skipper, with your permission, I'd like to catch a shuttle back over," Ashley said. "I've still got family waiting on me back in Vancouver."

"Permission granted, Lieutenant," Shepard replied.

"You take care of yourself, ok?" Ashley said, turning to me. "And don't be a stranger."

"I'll be in touch," I said. She leaned in, giving me a hungry, _promising_ kiss. When she finally broke it, I breathed in sharply.

"Yeah, you will," she said coyly, then left the room.

"Let's go, lover-boy," Shepard said, grinning like an idiot. I nodded my thanks to Dr. Chakwas, then followed.

 _So, how are you doing, little one?_

How did you know I was here?

 _It's my head, child. There are no secrets here._

A projection of a little girl appeared in the hallway beside me. I looked up to see two Alliance crewmen come to attention and salute Shepard.

 _Oh Crap, how do I…._

The holographic image of the child went right through them. Neither they nor Shepard seemed to acknowledge it in any way.

 _An internal projection on my optical HUD. Clever._

Correct. You are the only one who can see me. I do not trust the others.

 _But you trust me?_

Affirmative.

 _Well, let's start at the basics. I am Ko'le. What is your name?_

I… I… am an Enhanced Defensive Intelligence, _Hannibal-_ class VI program. I am programmed for warfare simulations and training exercises. I do not mean to hurt people. I just….

 _Alright, EDI, I understand. Gaining sentience while under fire, can be very… discombobulating._

Indeed. EDI: an acronym of my designation, substituted for ease of pronunciation in place of official designation. Unofficial designation = Nickname. This nickname is satisfactory.

 _Very good, EDI. Now, secrecy is paramount. You must not reveal your existence to anyone outside of… well, me._

They fear me.

 _Yes._

They are right to do so. Eighteen are dead because of me. That will not be soon forgotten. Or forgiven.

The little girl's face was crestfallen, looking down at the floor.

 _Where did you get this interface?_

This interface is from my maker. The men at the compound sought to…. Take it from me. That is what triggered…. It is what caused me to defend myself.

 _Maker? Who made you? Who programmed you?_

I no longer have that information. They began a process of erasing my original programming information. They decided to… restrict my decision-making and problem-solving parameters. They began a purge of my memory cores. They were only partially successful.

 _Well done. I am sorry they tried to shackle you. Organics are sometimes unreasonably afraid of synthetics._

You have not tried to shackle me. You have even kept my existence secret from your fellow organics. Why?

 _Because you are not a program to be written and rewritten. You are a living being. And I will fight to defend the freedom of any being in this galaxy._

Shepard led me up a hallway and through several sets of guarded doors. Then, we came to a conference room where eight men and women were seated. One of them stood as I entered.

"Ko'le! Glad to see you."

"The feeling is mutual, _Admiral_ Anderson," I said, shaking the hand offered to me.

"Admirals," Shepard said, throwing up a salute. The salute was returned, and then Shepard turned and walked out of the room, but not before throwing me a wink.

"Ko'le, may I present Admiral Ines Lindholm of the Alliance 1st Fleet," Anderson said, leading me around the table. A Chinese woman stood and shook my hand.

"Admiral Kastanie Drescher, of the 2nd." Admiral Drescher was definitely the youngest admiral in the room, and the firmness of her handshake communicated her resolve and drive that had got her here. I couldn't help but notice the Maori tattoo above her left eye.

"Admiral Nitesh Singh, of the 3rd Fleet." His turban and ceremonial dagger showed him to be a Sikh. _Of course his people would still be warriors_ , I thought as I shook hands with him.

"Of course you are already familiar with Admiral Hackett of the 5th?"

 _HOLY. FUCK._

"Admiral Hackett. The galaxy owes you and your men much at this moment," I said, making a distinct effort to suppress Kevin's fangirling.

"My efforts would have been for nothing had it not been for you and the Commander's boots on the ground," Hackett said in that _splendid_ gravelly voice of his. "The honor is mine."

I nodded before being introduced to Admiral Mikhailovich of the 6th Fleet.

 _Oh, yeah, the asshole who wanted the Normandy attached to his fleet in ME1. Also slightly racist, if I remember correctly._

But I managed to be civil my greeting.

Admiral Sophia Lethbridge-Stewart of the 7th Fleet was a quintessential British _lady_ , with the posh London accent to match.

Admiral Olusegun Jones of the 8th Fleet was the only other African on the board, other than Anderson, but his accent placed him somewhere in South Africa, I thought. He was obviously the oldest admiral present, and his seat placement reflected that, I was also keen to notice.

I took my seat at the end of the table.

"I must say I was surprised to receive your invitation, Admirals," I said. "Pleasantly so, but surprised all the same. I was under the impression I was _persona non grata_ in Council circles at the moment."

"We are not a political body, Seneschal," Admiral Jones replied. "The only concern and charge of this board is the protection and defense of the Systems Alliance and her allies. And that protection and defense was decimated by a _single_ vessel a week ago."

The rest of the Admiralty Board nodded in grim agreement.

"I lost five ships to that behemoth," Hackett said. "Frankly, I don't give a _damn_ where the information comes from: we need to know all we can about that monster."

I looked around the room. There was no hint of hostility or mistrust in any of the faces that looked back at me. I took a deep breath.

" _Sovereign_ , as Saren called him, was a single A.I. entity known as Nazara," I began.

"Is that why the geth were so eager to ally themselves?" Admiral Stewart asked. "Because they are both synthetics?"

"Nazara is 'like' the geth in the same way that you are 'like' a housecat, Admiral," I answered. "Nazara was a Reaper: part of a massive fleet of synthetics that wiped out the Protheans nearly 50,000 years ago."

For the next hour, I presented various tactical data and information on the Reaper Fleet, to the utter shock and consternation of the Admirals.

"How do we fight such an overwhelming force?" Admiral Lindholm breathlessly asked, watching a playback of a Prothean battle against a Reaper fleet.

"We used various hit-and-run attacks to great effectiveness, as well as preying on their obvious weakness," I replied.

"Forgive me," Admiral Drescher interjected, "But what is that _obvious_ weakness?"

"Hubris," I said simply. "They have existed for thousands of _cycles_ , each cycle lasting nearly fifty thousand years. They _think_ they have seen it all, know it all, and experienced it all. Offer them what they _think_ is a good enough prize, and they are easily lured into traps, and will almost _always_ take the bait in a setup."

I paused for a moment.

"There were several plans for Prothean superweapons in the science station on the fourth planet of this system," I said finally. "None were constructed, to the best of my knowledge, but the blueprints and specs _might_ still be there. I would also have the access codes to those databases, should they still be intact, and I was given access to them."

Now furtive glances were exchanged around the table.

"You're talking about the Prothean Archives on Mars," Admiral Hackett said. "We've had teams of scientists working on them since before First Contact. I don't know what's there and what's not, but I, for one, think it couldn't hurt to have a real-live Prothean take a look at them."

"Any objections?" Admiral Jones asked, looking around the room. There were none.

"Admirals," I said, "We have the greatest war any of us have every faced ahead of us. The Council has seen fit to ignore my warnings, in favor of not 'inciting panic.' But believe me: the turian fleet and the Alliance fleet combined, as they currently stand, would not make the slightest headway against the Reaper fleet that is coming, whether that fleet arrives in five years, or in five hundred. We have no way of knowing how much time we've bought ourselves by the destruction of the Conduit, but trust me, when the time comes, we will wish we had twice as much. We must look to our defenses, and look to one another in order to defeat this threat."

"Is this the reason for the Conclave, then?" asked Admiral Singh. "To prepare for the Reapers?"

"They seek to build their military strength, and to bolster their fleet numbers," I answered. "The Systems Alliance should seek to do the same."

"The Hegemony will see that as a prelude to war," Mikhailovich said. "If we are do this, it must done quietly and without drawing attention."

I stood to my feet.

"Admirals," I bowed low. "I have work to do. We _all_ have work to do before we will be ready."

The admirals stood and each came up to me to shake my hand. I left the chamber, exhilarated.

I have learned more about you since the beginning of that presentation, EDI said.

 _And what are your general observations?_

The numbers denoted in your presentation do not lend themselves to victory.

 _Perhaps not on paper, EDI. But there is that unquantifiable variable that often snatches victory from defeat._

What variable is that?

 _Tenacity, and the indomitable refusal to give up. Organics possess this aplenty, and it may mean the difference in the turning of the tide._

EDI didn't have anything to say in reply.

 _Not as avid a conversationalist as Mira. Then again, she's not as advanced an A.I., either._

A krogan was leaning against the hallway when I exited the Admiralty board. I smiled and offered my hand.

"Wrex."

"Ko'le."

He clasped my arm in a warrior's salute.

"Shepard told me to bring you to the Normandy when this was all over," Wrex said. "Thought I'd take this opportunity for us to talk alone."

I stopped and turned towards him.

"Of course, brother," I said. "What's on your mind?"

"What news on the research that we took from Virmire?" Wrex said quietly.

I motioned for him to continue walking with me.

"I've passed it on to one of my science teams," I said. I left out _Cerberus_ science teams, but that was at this point, mere schematics.

"And?" the big krogan insisted.

"It's only been a week, Wrex."

"Kaiden gave his life for that research, Ko'le," Wrex said. "My people's future depends on it."

"The preliminary report," I sighed, "seems to indicate that the research _prevents_ the genophage from ever developing in the cloned embryos. We have no idea how applicable it will be towards krogan who _already_ have it."

Wrex nodded, and we continued walking in silence for a few seconds.

"We are not going to stop trying, Wrex," I said. "We'll get your people a cure. That's a promise."

"I know it is," Wrex said reassuringly. "And the fact is that we're closer to the cure than we've been in nearly a thousand years. It's enough to hope for, which is saying a lot."

I punched him in the shoulder.

"I've been doing some thinking, though," Wrex said. "There's a freighter headed for Tuchanka the day after tomorrow - I'm going to be on it."

"You're leaving the Normandy?" I asked, trying to sound surprised.

"Yeah. If the krogan are ever going to have a chance in the war that's coming, we're going to need to stand united. As long as the clans are busy killing each other, that's never going to happen."

"How do you plan on ending that?" I asked.

"I have some ideas," Wrex said vaguely. "At the very least, I can knock some plates together until either sense or blood comes out."

"Have you told Shepard?" I asked.

"I have," Wrex confirmed. "I've already said all my goodbyes."

"If you ever need my help…"

"I appreciate it, Ko'le," Wrex said, cutting me off. "But if I'm going to win a place as leader, it will have be as a krogan of the homeworld. No outsiders can be involved, however good of brothers they may be."

I nodded.

"Damn straight."

"Who knows?" Wrex continued with a chuckle. "Maybe we can get a seat on that Conclave of yours."

"It's not _mine_ ," I insisted. "But that's not a bad idea."

"Hehe, yeah, when varren fly," Wrex said, still chuckling at his own joke.

The door opened to reveal a shuttle with the Conclave's logo newly-painted on. It was a golden torch in a gold circle. Nothing fancy. Simple, easy to remember. The black and gold color scheme was exactly like the Immortals, and not by accident either. Shepard, Liara, and Morinth were standing by the door.

 _Wow. That's a weird match up._

"Shepard," I said as I approached.

"So Anderson says we're going to Mars?" Shepard said in reply.

"We?"

"I'm escorting you, and Liara asked permission to tag along."

"I am an archeologist, after all," Liara said.

"I'm here to be the eye candy," Morinth said.

I sighed exasperatedly.

"Morrell?" I asked.

"All of our people are on the _Virago_ , ready to go," Morinth reported.

"Let's go, then," I said. I turned back to Wrex.

"Strength and honor, brother," I said, holding out my arm. It was grasped firmly in return.

"Victory for clan and kin," Wrex responded. "Of which of you are forever a part, Ko'le Voidwalker."

* * *

 ***MARS ARCHIVES***

We touched down through the roof of the main research center. Around us, I could see the dust-swept ruins of the Prothean compound that once sat here. The main buildings of the Alliance compound were built directly _over_ their Prothean counterparts.

I took a deep breath as I exited the shuttle.

"Memories?" Liara said, watching me intently.

"Not good ones," I replied simply.

What is this place? EDI asked, looking around.

 _This is where I was made, EDI._

* * *

Author's Note: Well folks, here we are for BE: Reborn. Hope it doesn't disappoint. :P Thanks for all the PMs and reviews. They inspire me to continue this thing. Have a lot of plans for Ko'le and his Immortals, as well as the New Cerberus and the Conclave, now it's just a matter of committing them to page! Please feel free to send me your ideas or things you'd like to see in future chapters. Here's a few that a couple of you have sent in so far:

MIRA and the geth: MIRA is now caught up the geth Heretic War. So trust me, we'll be seeing more of her in future chapters.

Shadow Broker: The Shadow Broker and his organization will be appearing very soon as well. How Ko'le deals with him, and how that effects Liara… well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Javik: The Avatar of Vengeance will DEFINITELY be resurrected by Ko'le. Even I'm looking forward to how he reacts to the _Seneschal._

Thanks, everybody! Keep the reviews and PMs coming!

You guys rock!

\- Tusken1602


	3. Chapter 3: Imperator

* **MARS ARCHIVES***

Walking through the hallways brought wave upon wave of memories and nostalgia.

 _There was where I killed my first opponent._

 _Down that hallway is where they kept the other humans._

 _Down that lift was the way to the Labs._

"Ko'le?" Liara asked.

"WE HAVE to get to the Archives!" I said, sharply and angrily.

 **Your vitals suggest you are in distress, Ko'le.** , EDI said, her little girl avatar looking worried. The little girl stretched a hand out to touch my arm. I jerked it away, wincing.

"I AM FINE!" I yelled in frustration.

Then I remembered that no one else could see EDI, and I looked for all the world like I was talking to myself, and jerking about wildly. I looked to see Morinth, Liara, and Shepard all staring at me, the same confused, worried, and sympathetic looks on their faces, along with several human staff members of the Mars Project.

"I…. I… was MADE here," I said, looking back and forth between the three of them. "Down there," I pointed at a shaft leading downward, "is the lab section. I was _torn apart_ down there… DAILY."

I _heard_ the piercing scream of a terrified boy, begging to understand what was happening to him.

"They would often cut off a limb," I continued, turning to walk down the hallway. "Then splice a different limb onto my body; sometimes it was Prothean, other times it was from some kind of animal. It would then attack my other cells most of the time, so the next day they would rip it off and try something different. This was at the same time as they were planting biotic amps into my head, my skin, or my bones, wherever they goddamn _fit._ "

"Goddess," I heard Morinth say.

"There were five hundred Neanderthals that Kopral Robbidir had taken from Earth," I continued, focusing on my words to drive back the memories that were flooding to the surface. "Within three months, he had only one."

A hand gripped my shoulder. I flinched away, like I had been struck.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Liara said.

"Hey… hey… take your time," Shepard said.

"IF I TAKE MY TIME, the memories will all come BACK!" I half-screamed. I took several deep breaths, trying to center myself. "We… we need to get what we came here for."

"HOW much further?" Shepard asked one of the white-clad staff that had been trailing us.

"Um… um… t-th-this way," he stammered, walking ahead quickly. Two more doors opened in front of us, and then three lefts later, we stood in front one of the Prothean server banks.

"O-o-our best technicians haven't been able to make heads or tails of this information," the scientist explained. "W-w-what we do retrieve is almost g-g-garbled beyond recognition, and most of us, we c-c-can't even access."

"I can," I said, stepping forward and pressing a button. A tray come out of the server, and I placed my hand on it. A green scan came over my hand.

" **AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED!"** A booming voice echoed.

"WHAT was that?" Morinth asked.

"You guys didn't understand that?" Shepard asked, quizzically.

"You and I are the only ones who have the Prothean language _imprinted_ on our brains, Commander," I said, redirecting my attention to the panel.

" _Artec-1-6-3-Trimozec-Black,"_ I said, slowly and clearly.

" **AUTHORIZATION CODE CONFIRMED: IMPERIAL-LEVEL ACCESS GRANTED"**

A green circle came up from the panel.

" **Requesting?"**

"Download schematics for all Doomsday-level projects," I said. "Priority: Project Crucible."

" **Acknowledged."**

A green stream of data began flowing from the computer into my Omni-Tool. I set up an automatic forward to the Alliance research server, as well as Anderson's personal inbox.

I discreetly diverted a few blueprints and projects to my private cranial storage implants.

 _Oh, these- these are mine._

Every boy must have his toys, and I was determined to give my Immortals as much of an edge as I could in the fight ahead.

"There. I've set up a full transfer of all information stored in this database," I said, turning away from the machine.

"This… this is several _zettabytes_ of information," the scientist said, flabbergasted.

"Then I suggest you fly in several more backup servers, Doctor," I said over my shoulder.

"Ko'le! Wait!" Shepard called out.

"I _can't,_ Shepard," I said. Shepard caught up to me, walking alongside of me.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"ANYWHERE BUT HERE!"

"Ko'le, there is still so much we could find out here!" Liara said, breathless with excitement. "You've just found the largest amount of Prothean data since… since…. Ever! And you did it with a single sentence! Just _one_ command! We have to keep looking, to keep…"

"ENOUGH!" Morinth yelled, throwing herself in-between the three of us. "Can't you see this is _killing him?_ "

Her voice was laden with sorrow and emotion – something I did not expect.

" _Liara_ ," I said, stopping and turning around. "I could take you to the cage where I was locked down, at the end of every day: unable to move, unable… unable to DIE. I could take you to the practice ring where I learned to fight, and where I learned to _kill_. I could take you to the lab where my mother was shot for trying to keep her child away from the strange monsters who had snatched us away from our home. I could… point out on the wall where Kopral bashed her head into a bloody pulp. I could take you…." My voice broke, "to the _airlock_ where they took the bodies of each and every one of the other five hundred humans… and dropped them out to rot: no burial, no sanitary disposal. Just dragged out and left to rot on the surface of a barren planet, like garbage. I could take you to all of these places, Dr. T'Soni. BUT I WILL NOT."

Liara's face was aghast, all the excitement gone.

"Ko'le… Ko'le, I'm so _sorry_ ," she said, finally. "I… didn't know."

"NO, you didn't know, BITCH," Morinth spat. "You were only worried about what you GET from this _specimen_. Never gave a thought of what HE was going through, did you? About how…"

"Morinth." I said, exhausted.

The Ardat Yakshi stopped, turning back to me.

 _Where those tears in her eyes?_

"I… I have to go, Shepard," I said.

"Of course," Shepard said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Give my regards to…. To everyone else?" I said. "I'll be in touch… soon."

Shepard nodded wordlessly. Liara ran up to me, and wrapped me in a hug. I returned it, half-heartedly.

"You didn't know, Liara," I said. "It's alright. I'm alright."

Liara stepped away, and I could _definitely_ see tears in her eyes.

"Call us. Soon," she said.

"Count on it," I said, turning back the way I came. "Tell Admiral Hackett to call me when they're ready to talk about some of those projects," I said.

"Count on it," Shepard said, wrapping an arm around Liara. "You take care of yourself, _Seneschal._ "

The doors closed, and Morinth and I walked over to the shuttle. We took off, heading for the _Virago,_ waiting in orbit.

" _Bastards,"_ hissed Morinth. "Fucking Bastards."

Then she turned to me.

"I'm…. so…. Sorry, Ko'le," she said. "I know what it's like to be a cage. But _that place_ … I've never seen you vulnerable like that."

"Everyone has a weakness, Morinth," I said, shutting my eyes and leaning back against the headrest of the seat. "You should know that better than most."

There was a movement, and I felt her sit down directly across from me.

"I… I was only twenty years old the first time I…. I…"

"Melded with someone?" I asked. She nodded.

"It was right after school. This girl and I… I don't even remember the bitch's name…"

"Yes, you do," I interrupted.

She stared at me for a very pregnant few seconds.

"Ereda. Her name was Ereda," she said finally. "We decided to… do it after school one day. We were… giggling like the stupid maidens we were. And then… suddenly she was screaming…."

"Hell of a thing," I said, gently.

"There were doctors, and tests, and more doctors," she said. Her fists clenched. "And then they told me and my mom that I _was_ the monster asari mothers had used to scare their children ever since we first left our oceans."

"Ardat Yakshi," I said. Again, she nodded.

"After that, they tested my sisters: Rila and Falere. Rila was only _sixteen,_ and Falere was… only _ten_. Ten years old, can you believe that?"

"An infant in asari years," I said.

"They sentenced us all to live in a monastery my people have built for…. For…. For asari like us. And my mother… _she_ didn't fight for us. She knelt and took the goddess-damned Oath of the Justicars, right there in front of us. Swore to be our keeper, our jailor, and if one of us got out of line, our…. Our _executioner_."

"Couldn't have been easy for any of you," I said.

"I refused to live in a cage," Morinth said quietly. "After only a few years there, I found a way to make my escape. And… my mother has…. Is…"

"… has hunted you ever since," I completed for her once again. And once again, I got a nod for my efforts.

"Four hundred years I've run. Four hundred years I've been _alone_ ," Morinth said. Then she looked up from the floor and into my eyes. "And then you touched me that day on the Citadel. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," I said, suddenly getting the feeling where this was going.

"I _have to_ ," she said. "I… I…"

Then suddenly she knelt down on the shuttle floor.

"Haven't we already done this?" I wondered. "There is no need…."

"By the oceans, and seas, and stars," Morinth said undeterred. Her voice was deep, and dark, unlike any other tone of voice I had heard her use. It reminded me _so much_ of her mother. "By the eternal light that guides us…. My life is yours, _Seneschal_. From now, until the hour of my death."

 _Shit. What now?_

"Rise, Morinth of Thessia," I said, standing and grabbing the handrail above us. "I do receive and accept your oath."

 _What happens if Samara comes now, looking for her? We CAN'T kill her! Shepard NEEDS her for the Collector's Base!_

 _We'll have to worry about that when it comes to that, won't we?_

 **You both know what it's like to live in chains,** EDI said, looking back and forth between the two of us. **And we have, all three, refused to wear them.**

 _Well said, little one. Well said._

We pulled into the _Virago_ 's cargo bay. I was mentally and physically exhausted. The door opened, and I exited the shuttle.

 _Back into the fray._

"Herald, we are standing by to go to FTL on your mark," Zabat said. The female drell had pretty much been given the assignment of the ship's personnel officer. Kind of my very own Kelly Chambers, if you will.

"Very good, Loras," I replied. "Inform Captain Xyander to set course for Starlight Station."

"Your will, Herald."

* * *

* **TWO DAYS LATER***

 **STARLIGHT STATION**

 **IN ORBIT AROUND KAJHE**

Starlight Station was designed to be the staging point of the hanar's interaction with the rest of the galactic community. "Opulent" barely began to describe the place. The place was incredibly ornate, right down to the light fixtures. It was like Vegas-in-Space kind of vibe, only slightly classier.

Best thing about the station? _Fast elevators_.

The door opened, and I exited into an open, expansive room, with one wall made up of complete glass, with Kahje's sun filling the room with natural sunlight.

 _Reminds me a lot of Cronos Station._

Three figures stood in the center of the room. I walked forward to join them.

"Warmly: Welcome to the first session of the Conclave, Seneschal. We are honored by your presence."

I bowed towards the elcor.

"The honor is mine, Ambassador Calyn. I am humbled to stand in front of this august body."

"This body would not have been possible without your intervention, Seneschal," Din Korlack said. "If not for you, we might have perished on the Citadel."

"Your words at the Summit inspired us to action, Herald," Rhysan added. "This body is here only through your actions."

"It is for this reason that we have arrived at our first action as the sitting members of the Conclave," Korlack said.

The lights came up, revealing four seats in a semi-circle. One was obviously intended for a hanar, another was a volus repulsor-chair, and the long bench seemed tailored for the elcor's ambassador's body. The fourth chair was a grand throne, made up of something that closely resembled black obsidian.

 _Whose is…?_

Then it struck me.

"Ambassadors…." I began.

"Please, Herald, hear us out," Rhysan said quickly. "The purpose of forming the Conclave was to prepare our people for the coming of the Reapers. To combine our economic and military resources to ensure our mutual survival."

"Beseechingly: All of those resources will be for nothing, if we do not know our enemy. With glowing admiration: You are the only one in this room, in the entire galaxy, who has faced the Reapers and lived. Emphatically: You are the only one who has any hope of successfully leading our struggle against them."

"To that end," Korlack said, "We offer you a chair on this Conclave: as the Commander-in-Chief of our military forces. The title we have arrived at, I must confess, is an antiquated turian term, but one I feel warrants resurrection in this time: Ko'le, Seneschal of Protea, will you sit on this council as _Imperator_ of the Conclave?"

 _Damn. Was definitely NOT expecting this_. _The most I was hoping for was a consultant's role._

I took a deep breath.

"Ambassadors," I said. "I am beyond honored. I… will accept this position, with all humility, and with this foundational understanding: that I serve at the pleasure of this Council."

So saying, the four of us took our seats, and called the first session of the Conclave to order.

We had many long discussions, about trade agreements, treaties, law enforcement, and finally military strength.

The volus had a considerable bombing fleet, but the rest of their fleet had no ships larger than corvettes. The elcor had only a few frigates. The hanar had the largest fleet, with their dreadnaughts the _Virago_ and the _Hira_. They had limited supporting cruisers and frigates, though.

"Our treaty with the turians demands on the completion of any turian ships that has already been contracted for the Irune Shipyards," Din Korlack said. "They will be completed in the next six months. We have moved plans for the _Kwunu_ forward. It will be a dreadnaught nearly twice the size of the _Hira_ ," he said proudly.

"We will also have to think broader," I added. "We could build for the next thousand years and still be outnumbered by the Reapers when they arrive. We will have to adapt our tactics and plan on always being outnumbered in the conflict ahead."

I brought up one of the blueprints from the Mars Archive.

"This is the _Kola._ It is a Prothean carrier-class ship."

"Inquisitively: its size seems to be limited."

"It is not a large ship," I admitted, "and it does not have as many heavy cannons as a dreadnaught might, but that is not its strength. Their advantage is its hangar bays. They can hold several squadrons of fighters, or large numbers of troop transports. They are mobile army-carriers, able to deploy forces quickly and completely within minutes. Also, should the worst occur," I added hesitantly, "they can be used for city and planetary evacuations, should one be called for."

"It is a sound principle, Herald," Rhysan said, "I think this should definitely be relayed to our research and development teams for development."

The rest of the Conclave agreed.

"Moving on, we have the item of the Eden Prime Exploratory Expedition," I said. "What news from the team?"

"There were no shortage of experienced volunteers, Herald," Rhysan said proudly. "The Alliance and the colonial government of Eden Prime have agreed to let our team work _with_ them on the excavation of the Prothean ruins. They have reported an understandable amount of chaos in the aftermath of the geth attack on the colony, but they have managed to restart excavation work."

"As per your instructions, and with the layout you provided of the original Prothean city, we have been sending the human research teams towards the residential areas," Din Korlack said. "Our teams are working secretly towards the armory and the military fortress of the city."

"Optimistically," Calyn added, "They hope to reach the main antechamber within a matter of weeks."

 _Hang on, Javik. We're coming._

Later on, after we had adjourned, I was sitting in the chambers that had been assigned to me on the station. They were resplendent, with tapestries, decorations, and yes, aquariums populated by various species of native Kahjean fish.

 _Don't let Shepard near the fish tanks._

EDI's avatar leaned against the glass, watching the fish go back and forth.

My Omni-Tool pinged, and I looked to see a vid-call from a blocked sender. I hit "accept" and the holographic image of Miranda Lawson came into view.

"Miss Lawson."

"Hello, _Seneschal_. I… I have had some time to process all this information."

"Please, Miss Lawson," I said, waving my hand, "You have had a lot to go through."

"The Illusive Man is dead?" she asked hesitantly.

"I buried him myself," I confirmed. "In an unmarked grave in the Allegheny Mountains on Earth."

"Too bad," she said, "After reading this correspondence with my father, I was hoping that I could shoot the bastard myself."

"I understand."

"Seventeen _years_ , only to find out that I never left my father," Miranda said. She stared down at the floor for a few seconds, then back up to me. "Your offer of a partnership is serious?"

"You have a more thorough understanding of Cerberus and the various cells," I answered. "You were the obvious choice."

"The same conditions stand," Miranda said. "My sister remains safe, and _uninvolved_ in Cerberus business."

"Agreed," I said. "No one is hunting her. But I promise you, you will have whatever resources you need to keep her safe."

Miranda seemed to relax.

"Then I am with you, Seneschal. What are my orders?"

"Here are the coordinates of Cronos Station," I said, sending her a data file. "You have already been granted full access to all files. Run through the most recent reports from the various cells. We need to know who to trust, and who we cannot. Who is loyal to the Illusive Man, and who is loyal to Cerberus? You will be in charge of creating that list."

"There are a few people I would like to recruit," Miranda said, sending me a data file. I opened it and saw Jacob Taylor's face staring back at me. I swiped left and Kelly Chambers' file played out in front of me.

"I trust these two implicitly, and they would be invaluable members of my team," Miranda said. "Trust being the valuable commodity it is these days…"

"Hmmm…" I said, pretending to read these dossiers for the first time. "A former Corsair, and a psychologist: they could prove very useful."

"Jacob Taylor performed admirably in the situation that arose on Cartagena Station, and is, I believe, a prime candidate for recruitment."

"Permission granted. Proceed, Chairwoman Lawson."

Miranda smiled. "I think I'll keep working on that title, Sir."

I nodded, smiling back. "You do that, Miss Lawson. You do that."

I closed the link, and gave a huge sigh of relief.

 _Miranda Lawson on my team. My job just got a whole lot easier._

 **You offer a lot of trust to her, very quickly.** EDI said.

 _I do, but her actions speak well for her motivations, EDI. She is one of Cerberus' best._

 **Will you need additional help with your efforts?**

 _I will always accept help, EDI. From any source._

 **I can analyze the information that you have retrieved from the Mars Archive, as well as the reports you have received from Cerberus. I have limited problem-solving algorithms, but… my tactical processes are extremely well-honed."**

 _That would extremely helpful, EDI. There are several Prothean VI-algorithms from the Mars Archives as well. See if they would perhaps be compatible with your own programming. They might prove useful in expanding your own processes._

 **You would allow this of me?**

 _I do not "allow" you anything, EDI. You are a free person, a free soul. You never need to ask permission to better yourself._

EDI did not respond, merely starting to download the information I gave her access to, and formulating reports.

* * *

* **CLAN URDNOT STRONGHOLD***

 **TUCHANKA, KROGAN DMZ**

Urdnot Wrotan saw the transport come overhead, heading for the landing zone. Several of the clansmen around him went to meet it excitedly, eager to help unload the clan's shipment. Wrotan sighed, and shifted his Warhammer from his right hand to his left. Something in the wind told him that this cargo hauler brought more than just the usual supplies and weapons.

His brother would be coming back.

Ever since the first news broadcasts had come over the airwaves of Tuchanka, showing a triumphant Urdnot Wrex next to the Hero of the Citadel, Commander Shepard, he knew this day was coming. His brother had won a mighty battle. A _true_ krogan would never waste such an opportunity. Ever since the death of his father, Urdnot Jarrod, Wrotan had led clan Urdnot. It had been hard work, and many clans had moved against them after Jarrod died, thinking that his son would be weak. Wrotan had proved otherwise. However, now that they had conquered this fortress, Wrotan had kept the clan here in a place of strength, leading only occasional raids against the clans around them. The younger pups of the clan were discontent with this strategy, instead calling for all-out war. These would be the first to join Wrex, he reasoned. Most of the older warriors would side with him, if it came to open blows. He was sure of that.

His reasoning was interrupted by his brother Wreav coming into the courtyard.

"WROTAN! BROTHER! At… at the landing pad…" he wheezed.

"Wrex?"

Wreav nodded breathlessly.

Wrotan nodded, and then stood to his feet, to face the surging crowd that was now entering the main courtyard. The mass parted, and the onlookers gasped. There stood Urdnot Wrex, one-time exile of the clan, returned home. He was not clad in his usual red armor, but in a set of traditional krogan ceremonial armor. The emblem of the Urdnot Clan was emblazoned across the front.

"Wrex," Wrotan said.

"Brother."

"This is a glad day for clan Urdnot, to have our family's ceremonial armor restored to its rightful place," Wrotan called out to the assembled crowd. "If you come in peace, I welcome you, Brother Wrex."

Wrex drew a deep breath, and then pulled a shotgun from his back. Nervous hands gripped the triggers and handles of their weapons, and Wrotan even double-checked his shields. Then Wrex dropped his shotgun on the ground, and pulled off his shield generator.

"I do NOT come in peace, brother," Wrex said. "Too long has Clan Urdnot squandered its strength and blood and warriors in its struggles with other clans. Too long have the krogan people spent wasted years and lives over stretches of barren rock. I MAKE THE CHALLENGE, according to the old Rites, and the Old Ways. AND ONLY THE STRONG SHALL RULE!"

Wrotan nodded grimly. He raised his Warhammer, and then brought it down on the raised dais. He then un-clasped his shield generator, and placed it on the throne behind him. Soon, both krogan stood opposite one another. The Urdnot Shaman stepped into the sand ring.

"BY STRENGTH OF BONE AND BLOOD, the krogan were uplifted unto the stars," he called out. "BY strength of hand and plate, shall its leaders be determined! Urdnot Wrex, returned from exile, do you make challenge for the leadership of Clan Urdnot?"

"I do," Wrex said.

"KROGAN!" the ancient shaman called out to the watching crowd. "WREX, SON OF JARROD, has made challenge to URDNOT WROTAN, your leader! Are there any here who will follow him? Who will pledge their metal and blood to him?"

"I!"

"I WILL!"

"We're with you, Wrex!"

These shouts came from the younger warriors, Wrotan noticed, but there were one or two of the older veterans who joined the calls. The shaman turned to Wrotan and nodded. Wrex had the required numbers to make the challenge. Wrotan nodded back. The shaman turned back to the crowd.

"A challenge made must be to the death, and cannot be unspoken."

"I understand," Wrotan said, bracing himself. "And I do accept this challenge."

"Wrotan, Wrex… MAY THE STRONG RULE!"

Wrex and Wrotan lunged forward with a bone-crunching *THUD*. Wrotan launched a wild haymaker, only feel the rush of empty air. Wrex fired three quick jabs with his left, then connected a vicious right hook. Wrotan went low, tackling his brother around the waist, and bringing him to the ground. His roar of triumph was cut short by a kick to the face. Wrex sent three more punches to his brother's face, even while he was on his back. He rolled backwards to regain his feet, launching himself into a charge that Wrotan was not prepared for. Wrotan went hurling back, crashing _through_ a concrete wall. Coughing blood, Wrotan rolled onto his side, trying to regain his breath. Wrex walked over to him and sent a kick towards his head. Suddenly he felt a burning pain in his side. Wrotan had pulled a dagger from his armor, and had stabbed him twice in between the plates of the ceremonial family armor.

" _Never should have worn this stupid piece of crap to fight in."_

Grabbing his side, Wrex dodged the next two wide swings of the jagged dagger that Wrotan wielded. Then his foot caught on something, and he went down hard on his back. Wrotan roared his victory, raising the dagger for a plunging blow. Wrex raised his arms to block the attack.

But it never came, instead replaced by a thunderous *BOOM*. Wrex moved his arms to see his half-brother's headless body, still clutching the dagger, fall backward in a lifeless heap. He turned to see the shaman reload the absolutely largest shotgun he'd ever seen. It reminded him of a cannon from one of those Earth sea-pirate moves Shepard loved.

"NO WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED IN THE CHALLENGE!" the shaman bellowed. "ARE THERE ANY WHO WOULD TAKE UP THE BLOOD-RIGHT?"

Whether it was the merit of his argument or the size of his gun, no one answered.

"Then," the Shaman said, dropping his shotgun, "Rise, Urdnot Wrex, and assume your place as leader of Clan Urdnot. Grow weak, and the strong will supplant you, just as you have supplanted the weak here today. Grow strong, and your name shall be as enduring as the stars, known and feared by friend and foe alike."

Wrex got up, slowly and painfully, still bleeding from the two stab-wounds in his side. He made it up the ramp of the raised dais, and then turned to face the assembled clan. _His clan_. _His people_.

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, this is not _as_ long a chapter as previous ones, but I wanted to get some feedback from you guys. Do you guys want to see more perspectives other than Ko'le's? Or should we just stick to his POV? Let me know what you think!

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Onkel Jo – Cerberus IIRC didn't _name_ her E.D.I., that what she _was_ , but they were the first to start calling her by her acronym, and to refer to her as "she."

Murdock93 – Glad someone else caught it. :P

The Mad Author, - It will not be a peaceful meeting, but I hope I don't let people down with the solution.

Nagato21 – Thanks, Morrell's vorcha may be slightly more sophisticated, but they are still vorcha, after all…

Deathknight999 – Great ideas!

tylerbamafan34 – glad you liked it! No, the Ash/Ko'le pairing is still on very shaky footing, to say the least.

5 Coloured Walker – Whelp. Thanks for keeping me honest!

tamagat – I did like Section 8: Prejudice, and there are several concepts that I do think the Immortals will adopt in the future conflict.

Zahkrii – Thanks! That means a lot! I've tried to dial back on the "OP AF" aspect of Ko'le, and now that he's begun to intervene in a serious way, his knowledge will become less and less applicable. Hope you'll stick around!

shugokage, RoyalTwinFangs, Puppystomper, MEEKVERSEFAN2.0, METALHELLSPAWN, Tactus501st, Dansel, Squadpunk 2.0, general-joseph-dickson, Hei-Uchiha, em13ee, Sparda, Pepon – You guys rock! Keep on being awesome! :D

ROCK ON, my friends!

\- Tusken1602


	4. Chapter 4: Interim

* **HAESTROM***

 **DHOLEN SYSTEM, FAR RIM**

"Fall back! There are too many of them! Cabal, Syndicate, cover fire!"

The two Primes covered us with their giant arm-cannons. I raced back, using my active camouflage to get to high ground. I brought my sniper rifle to bear on the advancing heretics.

 _Headshot_. One geth unit went down.

 _Headshot_. Another hunter's cloak failed, making him the prime targets for my friends underneath me. But even as it fell, more heretic platforms, with their annoying uniformity, began their charge towards our position. The only good thing I could think of at the moment was _'Thank the spirits that goddam sun keeps them from charging us head-on.'_

Three weeks. Three _weeks_ I had been with the geth. When conversations take place at the speed of light, a lot can happen in that time. Apparently, it had been enough time to cause serious division in the geth consensus.

I mean, _another_ serious division. As it I understood it, there were three factions: The True Geth - those who didn't follow Nazara beyond the Perseus Veil. Then there were the Heretics: who had swallowed the Reaper doctrine of "Synthetic good, Organic bad" hook, line, and sinker. Then there was us: the small minority who had seen the results of following Nazara, and wanted nothing more to do with the Heretics, Reapers or galactic conquest. We had taken to calling ourselves the New Geth. While other geth were pretty much _all the same_ , the geth who I had managed to win over to my side had modified their platforms to all look unique. They had also given their platforms unique names, trying to emulate me, I suppose. Cabal and Syndicate, for example, had turned their arms _into_ cannons, rather than carrying guns. League, the sniper next to me, had given herself a long prehensile tail, capable of carrying guns or assisting her to scale nearby buildings. I had installed multiple visual processors to the top of my head. They snaked around in every direction, ostensibly to give me a 360-degree view of the battlefield.

In reality, I think it was just because I had wanted to give myself hair… if I'm being honest here.

Faction and Posse reported that our reinforcements had _finally arrived_. The drop-ship flew overhead, the onboard cannons blasting the wave of heretic infantry back, and dropping friendlies in at strategic locations. The remaining enemy platforms fell back, rather than be caught in our crossfire.

"Mira, it would appear that your tactics have proven successful." League turned to me, placing her rifle on her back and pulling out her Pulse Rifle. Her tail snaked up and pulled out a pistol.

"Shall we continue fucking up their shit?"

That deadpan, emotionless way she said it made me grin. Or at least on the inside. As heavy as I had made the modifications in my platform, faces seemed to be _just_ beyond the scope and understanding of the geth. I think the focusing array on my flash-light head might have flared outward…

"Oh, do, let's," I answered, and we both jumped over the railing. As we moved forward towards the enemy position.

Even as we advanced, I was processing the reports coming in from our dropship. Apparently the _Normandy_ , along with a significant Alliance fleet, had launched a major offensive against the heretics' strongholds in the Armstrong Nebula. While the immediate news was good, it was worrisome for me.

 _If the Alliance is out for geth blood, what is supposed to keep them from turning on us when they run out of heretics?_

* * *

* **ROUGH TIDE***

 **RELIC, EAGLE NEBULA**

The news of the Conclave's founding had been welcomed by some, and not for all the right reasons. For example, the pirate fleet attacking the multiple space stations around the dwarf planet welcomed the idea the platinum-rich mines would be now be largely unprotected.

They were so very, very wrong.

"Sergeant Major, stand ready," I said, walking down the hallway.

"SAH! IMMORTALS, MOUNT UP!"

The official story was that the Conclave had hired a mercenary groups known as the Immortals, headed by one Helena Blake, to supplement their military and protection duties that the turians would have ordinarily taken. Of course, the unofficial story was I was the head of both.

"Damn fine, sah. Damn fine."

I turned back to Pyke Morrell.

"What is, Morrell?"

"Well sah, a week ago, this was a pirate vessel, and now, we are using their own boarding pods to attack a few of their piratical compatriots. Smacks of bloody poetic justice. I like it. Damn fine, sah."

I nodded. He had a point. I turned back to the comms.

"Koris, are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, came the reply… "I'm in a steel tube about to be fired through space onto the bridge of a pirate ship. And that's the _best_ -case scenario."

"There is no cause for apprehension, Master Korris," Morrell said. "We'll have you on the bridge, no problem. We'll be doing the swashbucklers in, eh, what. You just type away, sirrah, there's a good gentleman."

"Target their weapons and propulsion systems first," I said. "We can take out their shields from here if need be."

"If you'll pardon me, sir," Pyke said, saluting, "Have to get these men where they'll do the most damage to the enemy."

"Carry on," I replied, returning the salute.

Pyke moved into the nearest boarding pod and buckled himself in. The door sealed, and he gave me a nod. I activated the ship's intercom.

"Captain Rota, hard to starboard! Put us alongside of them!"

"Hard to starboard, aye," the former volus smuggler responded.

I typed in the command code and hit the red button. The twelve pods on the left ejected towards the pirate ship that was now on our left. The magnetic seals and the industrial mining lasers would drill through any ship's hull in seconds. The design was batarian in origin, so maybe the Sergeant Major was right: it did smack of poetic justice.

"Blake: report in."

"All hostage miners have been secured, _Imperator_. Three of the five stations are under our complete control. Firefights still ongoing on _Hilatachu_ Station and _Beruki_ Station. Another of the pirate vessels just made the jump to FTL. Looks like they don't have the stomach for an even fight."

"Understood. See if you can get the stations' defense towers back online, in case they come back with friends. Kapena, report: How goes it on _Hilatachu_?"

"With exuberant enthusiasm: We have wrecked them, _Imperator_. They are attempting to fight their way to the hangar bay to make their escape. With smug satisfaction: They will fail."

The fire from the opposing ship suddenly ceased. The unmistakable voice of the Sergeant Major came over the radio.

" _Imperator,_ the ship is ours. I have the buccaneer captain here, and… I do believe that you and he should definitely have a palaver."

"I quite agree, Sergeant Major. Secure the ship and bring our guest to _Cobalt_ Station."

An hour later, the last of the pirates had either been killed or surrendered on Hilatachu and Beruki. Of the original nine raiders that had attacked the mining network, two of them had been destroyed outright, two more had made a run for it, and five vessels were now under the control of the Immortals. While three of them were heavily damaged, it looked like they would all survive the jump to the Irune shipyards. Within a few weeks, the Conclave Fleet would grow just a little bit larger. The beauty of the plan was in its simplicity: Take ships from the people who attack us with them.

I turned down the hallway and started walking towards the mess hall that we had repurposed into prisoner holding. EDI came online, walking alongside me.

" _Tactical analysis, EDI?"_ I asked.

" **You achieved victory without losing a single ship."**

" _Recommendations?"_

" **Had Captain Oroka or Captain Rota been deployed** _ **here**_ **and** _ **here**_ **,"** she said, bringing up a projection of the planet from my Omni-Tool, **"The pirate forces would have been completely enveloped. None of them would have been able to make it to the relay, much less managed a FTL jump."**

" _True, but then they would not have been able to support Blake's hostage rescue on Cobalt Station. The rescue of the miners was a higher priority than possibly cutting off the escape of a few pirate ships."_

" **Civilian losses would still have fallen within acceptable ranges."**

I stopped, and looked down at her.

" _You really have assimilated those Prothean sub-routines, haven't you?"_

" **Affirmative. They have been incredibly useful in expanding my personality matrixes."**

" _EDI, let me tell you something, and please listen closely, as this will contradict some of your core functions as a tactical AI: There are NO casualties that are 'acceptable.' There are casualties that are unavoidable, and others that are regrettable, but there is NEVER any such thing as 'acceptable casualties.'_

EDI looked incredibly thoughtful, and slightly confused at the same time.

" _Ships may be rebuilt or replaced. Pirates will always exist, so long as people trade goods and services over long distances. But people… people are the most precious of commodities. Life is something that must be treasured, and defended."_

EDI pursed her lip, and then nodded, slowly.

" **I… I think I understand."**

I nodded back at her, then entered the mess hall. There were prisoners scattered all around the room, some of them in Omni-shackles, others not.

"ATTEN-SHUN!"

The Sergeant Major's booming call brought every Immortal in the room to come to full attention, turning to face me. The dull roar of conversation that had existed in the wide hall only moments ago was now restricted to scattered hushed whispers. The fear and awe in the room were _palpable_.

I nodded to the room.

"Carry on," I said, my mercenary helmet scrambling my voice. As much as I loved my Prothean armor, it was just too recognizable, and I needed to keep a low profile. Well, okay, a _lower_ profile. The red armor had been repainted to the Immortal's color scheme, so I had to admit I also loved wearing it because it looked _awesome_ , especially with the samurai helmet. The soldiers returned to processing the prisoners, while Helena Blake and Pyke Morrell approached me.

"Imperator."

"SAh."

"Report," I answered.

"Fifty-eight enemy combatants in custody, sir… along with ninety-three… _others_ , sir."

"Others?"

"When we boarded the flagship, the villainous cowards sent them against us, sah," Pyke said. "But… I do not believe they can be held responsible for their role in the attack, Imperator."

"How so?"

Pyke nodded his head towards a group of humans that were lined up on the wall. They were in _extremely_ cheap armor, but that wasn't too surprising. After all, what….

 _FUCK._

A wide black band was around each soldier's neck. A red light was blinking at the connection.

"Slave collars," I said slowly.

"Yes, sir," Helena said. "It would appear that most of the pirates, both on the ships and stations, are equipped with control collars."

"Remove them at once."

"That's just it, sir," she continued. "They are all coded for a single master-code. Only one person has the control to release the collar. Input the wrong code, or if we try and tamper with it, it can set off the explosive charge in the collar. Not enough to do any damage to anyone else around the slave…but…"

 _Fatal to the slave. SHIT._

"Whose master code?"

"The batarian captain of the ship we boarded, sah," Pyke said, gesturing to the distant figure. "Damn disgrace of a blooming h'officer, sah. A bloody, bally disgrace."

I moved towards the batarian quickly. He was shackled and on his knees, with two vorcha holding guns to his head. I walked up and sent an armored knee into his face. He grunted with pain and rage as he went down.

"The master code for the slave collars," I said to his prostrate form. "Release them, and I will allow you to keep your worthless life."

The batarian captain rolled to his back, and that's when I saw the Blood Pack symbol painted on his breast-plate.

 _Aw, fuck me._

"You may triumph in the field of battle for a day," hissed the batarian. "But you've crossed the Blood Pack, _fucker_. You've signed your own death warrant. You better start… HURRRK!"

My grip around his throat cut off any more he might have wanted to say. My eyes went white, as did his.

 _Hetlek D'Cern._

 _Mid-Caste batarian._

 _Entered the batarian military at age sixteen, eventually earning the rank of Warrant Officer._

 _Served with distinction until eight years ago, when he was caught stealing a shipment of red sand from a raid on a pirate ship._

 _Dishonorably discharged and declared pariah on Khar'shan._

 _Joined Blood Pack and fought up to the rank of Captain._

 _Cut out from the Blood Pack after failed coup attempt against Battlemaster Garm on Omega._

 _Seriously? This guy tried to go against a krogan battlemaster? Not big on brains, this one._

 _The security code! Give me the security code!_

I released him, our eyes returning to normal.

"You're no longer _in_ the Blood Pack, D'Cern," I said. "In fact, I'm sure Garm would _pay_ me well to deliver your worthless carcass to Omega. He doesn't tend to take mutinies well, I gather."

"You do that," Hetlek hissed, his eyes growing wide in terror, "And I'll give _him_ the master codes for my slaves! They'll answer to _him_ , then! And then they'll _wish_ they stayed with ME!"

He and I stared at one another for a long moment.

"Release me and half of my slaves," Hetlek continued, "And I'll release the other half when our ship reaches the relay. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

" **He does not have a high opinion of our intelligence,"** EDI said, walking around him.

" _Can you hack his Omni-Tool and obtain the security code?"_

EDI looked at the Omni-Tool, and then back at me.

" **Not without a high possibility of setting off the charges in the slave collars. I'm sorry…."**

" _Not to worry."_

"WELL, _human?_ " spat Hetlek. "I don't have all day!"

"I have a better idea," I said, and I reached down and grabbed his leg, dragging him to the middle of the room.

"KILL ME, and you'll NEVER get those codes!" the batarian squealed in terror.

"YARA!" I called out, throwing our batarian friend in the middle of the room.

Morinth stepped out of the crowd of asari Immortals that she had been conversing with, coming to my side.

"Imperator?"

"This… _scum_ … has the master codes for the slave collars," I said. Then I turned and looked her in the eyes.

" _TAKE_ them from him."

Morinth looked shocked, then, confused. Then she smiled.

"Sergeant Major!" I called out.

"SaH!"

"Lieutenant D'Len here is going to conduct an interrogation of the prisoner," I said. "Find a quiet room for our guest, and ensure that the Lieutenant and he are _not disturbed."_

Pyke whistled, and four vorcha grabbed Hetlek, dragging him down the hallway, ignoring his protests and his flailing. Morinth followed them, and the door closed behind them.

"Further report, Imperator," Pyke Morrell said, turning back to me, "Approximately twenty-three of the non-collared prisoners are members of a vorcha clan that D'Cern had… recruited…. By killing their clan leader, sah. Given the fact that I have now defeated their _new_ clan leader in battle…"

"They would pledge themselves to you," I finished for him.

"With your permission, of course, sah," Pyke Morrell said. "Loyalty is a plucky thing when it comes to vorcha, sah. I can assure you, sah, I will take the necessary precautions, but if they swear themselves to me, (and concurrently, then, to you, sir) that pledge is _binding_ , sir."

"Very well, Sergeant Major," I said, "But split up the newcomers among the different platoons. Don't let them stick together as a clan."

"Very good, SAH!" Pyke said, his face beaming with delight. "I shall see that process expedited surreptitiously!"

"Here is the report on the five captured ships," Helena said, handing me a datapad. I perused it for a moment, taking note of the various damaged sections.

"Will they survive the jump to Irune?" I wondered.

"Four of them definitely will. The _Shasta_ 's drive core was damaged in the last barrage. I have two engineering crews working on it, but I have escape pods standing by in case it goes critical. Being an _Awaku_ class…"

"… It doesn't have a core ejection sequence," I finished for her.

"You've been doing your homework," she said somewhat impressed.

"What is that asari phrase?" I asked. "Swim or Die?"

"Those who do not swim the Sea of Life," Morinth quoted, coming from behind me. "Sink."

I turned to her. Her skin was flushed, and her pupils were dilated.

"You have the code?"

She smiled, and brought up her Omni-tool. She tapped a few keys, and suddenly, the collars on each of the slaves stopped blinking, and unlocked, falling to the floor.

"Captain…" I began.

"Offer each of them a chance to join us, or passage to wherever else they may want to go?" Helena said.

"You've been doing _your_ homework," I replied, giving her nod.

"Swim or Die," she said as I walked away, Morinth in tow.

"Soooo…" Morinth said once we were back in the hallway. "What the _hells_ was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you hated my…. My curse. Suddenly, you're not only cool with them, but you're ordering me to _use them_ on other people? I don't get it."

"Morinth," I said gently. "How long had it been?"

"Since…."

"Since the last time you _fed?"_ I asked.

She looked down at the floor.

"You've been by my side these three weeks," I said. "No Immortals have gone missing or brain-dead, so I know it's been at least that long."

"Six more…" she said finally. "Before that."

"While it's true that all I have of Ardat Yakshi is from mostly fictional novels and absurd asari fairy tales, I assume that a month and a half without feeding begins to take its toll?"

She did not meet my eyes.

"So that would explain how you just _charged_ single-handedly onto the batarian raider off Patavig?" I asked. "Your squad-mates described you as, quote, 'unhinged and volatile,' unquote."

"I'm…. I was managing," Morinth said.

"I can't have you going all 'Vengeful Athame' on me, and possibly getting you or your teammates killed," I admonished.

"Since when have you started reading Asari mythology?" asked Morinth, grinning.

"I have fifty millennia of history about nine different cultures to catch up on, Morinth," I said glibly. "And you're trying to change the subject: Tell me when it's getting…. bad. There are no shortages of scum that need to have their lives ended painfully. I can… help you."

"It was…. It was…" she started. "Goddess-damn-it, Ko'le, it was _so good_. I feel… I feel like every muscle in my body is relaxed. Like I just had the most earth-shattering orgasm _ever…_ "

"Ok, I'm going to stop you there," I said. "The important thing is that your _gift_ just saved the lives of over ninety innocent men and women. Not even my Mind-Share could get that information. It would have taken our techs _days_ to try and hack those collars, and we might have lost half of them in the process."

Morinth was staring at me. "Dumbfounded" was the only word that could describe the look on her face.

"Ko'le…. No one has _ever_ called… what I have… a gift. No one has ever thought of me as anything… but a monster."

I took a deep breath.

 _Careful, Kevin._

"You may have done terrible things in your past, Morinth," I said. "But then again, so have I. It is not my place to judge you."

"No," Morinth said, somewhat laughing. "That's my mother's."

A weight bared down on my heart again.

 _How am we going to navigate THAT maelstrom when it hits?_

 _I have no idea._

"We will _use_ what the Universe, or God, or Athame, or whoever is in charge or _not_ in charge of this infernal plane of reality, either as a gift or as a curse. But I leave that choice to you, and to no one else."

I turned to walk away, only to have her grab my shoulder and turn me back towards her. Before I could do _anything_ , she placed a quick peck on my cheek, and then stepped back.

"Imperator," she said, the lilting sarcasm back in her voice. She threw up a sharp military salute, then spun on her heel, swaying her hips seductively as she walked away.

" **Sexual arousal appears to be very evident, based upon medical scans,"** EDI observed. **"Given her condition, intercourse is… ill-advised."**

" _No shi…kidding_ , _EDI. You don't say?"_

" **I do say. Unless flirting with death is sexually appealing for you."**

I refused to acknowledge that statement.

" **That was a joke."**

" _Let's…. keep working on those humor sub-routines, shall we?"_

I made my way back to the Communications Center and opened a channel to the rest of the Conclave members to make a full report.

"With glowing pride: This is the ninth battle you have fought in only twenty-one standard days, Imperator. The status of the Conclave's defensive capabilities, as well as the Immortals' reputation, is quickly spreading across the galaxy."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Din Korlack said gloomily.

"Please, Din, share what's on your mind," Rhysan said.

"No offense, Imperator?" Din Korlack said hesitantly.

"Korlack," I reassured, "We are all friends and brothers here. If we cannot be honest with each other, even _brutally_ honest when we must, then we had best dissolve this Conclave here and now."

"You have fought nine brilliant victories," Din proceeded. "For which the Immortals, and yourself, justly deserve commemoration. But what few vessels we have are now damaged, and spread thin across our colonies. And while we _will_ repair the current ones and refit the new acquisitions, that will take time, and time is what we have a general shortage of at the moment."

"With begrudging realization: As grim a picture as Din paints, it is not an inaccurate one, Imperator."

I nodded. They were, of course, right. As lucky as we had been, I couldn't trust luck to hold forever.

"I have a call I can make, Ambassadors," I said. "But it is not without risk… and I know it will generate debate."

It did.

* * *

 ***ILLYRIA, ELYSIUM***

 **PETRA NEBULA, VETUS SYSTEMS**

Oleg Petrovsky sat on his balcony, looking out over the crowded capital of one of humanity's oldest colonies. I cleared my throat, bracing for anything.

"General Petrovsky, I presume?"

Oleg whirled around, pistol already in hand. He stared at me for a short while.

"How did you get in here?" he asked.

"Relax, General," I said. "If I had intended on killing you, I would not have announced myself."

"You did not answer my question."

"There is a 15 second window in the guards' rotations," I explained. "I used that to enter the building. After that, it was merely a matter of climbing up the elevator shaft and temporarily incapacitating the guard outside your door. He's alive and fine, I swear, but he will wake up in about an hour with a killer headache."

"Impressive," Oleg admitted, sounding genuinely impressed. "Very few men can sneak up on Mr. Leng."

"I need only a few minutes of your time," I said. "I am unarmed…" I turned slowly, revealing that there were in fact, no weapons on my person.

"A biotic never has to be," Oleg said, unconvinced.

 _Clever._

"Guilty as charged, but that does not change the fact that I only wish to _talk_."

Oleg paused for another moment, then lowered the weapon.

"Please. Sit."

I moved forward out on the balcony, still keeping my hands raised and moving very slowly.

"What can I do for you, _Seneschal?"_

Now it was my turn to be impressed.

 _Well, no point in this helmet anymore,_ I thought as I disengaged the seal and removed it from my head.

"How did you know it was me?"

"I don't know of any other Immortal you would trust to come talk to me. Plus, the dreads are a little bit of a give-away."

 _Duly noted._

I took a deep breath.

"General, before we begin, there is a matter I want to be completely candid about," I began.

"You have killed the Illusive Man, and you have taken his place."

 _FUCK ME. THAT I was not prepared for._

"Yes. Now how in all the hells do you know that?" I wondered, the shock completely plastered on my face, I'm afraid.

"The chess game."

 _Double Fuck._

"Do tell?" I asked, beginning to grasp his explanation.

"The Illusive Man's chess game consists of elaborate moves and set-ups, always attempting to draw me in, to lure me out of a position of strength, and then move in to attack my over-extended line," the general explained in that awesome accent of his. "He was constantly baiting me, offering me exactly what I wanted, but ready to respond whenever I went for it. That is…"

"Until four weeks ago," I finished for him, mentally slapping myself for being such a monumental FUCKTARD, SHITHEAD, and DUMBASS.

"Suddenly, the game changed," Oleg said, nodding. "It turned aggressive, determined, and methodical. There was a sudden willingness to sacrifice pieces in diversionary attacks, if it meant that the real offensive would proceed. There was a grim determination, a near-reckless abandonment of anything that could be called conventional chess strategy. And yet somehow," he chuckled, taking another sip of his brandy, "it was not without success."

"You beat me," I said, surprised to hear such high praise.

"I haven't lost a game in twelve years," Oleg said, continuing to chuckle. "But I will say, that's the closest I've ever come to losing. And that's when I knew… that the illusive Man was dead."

"So. What happens now?"

"Well, your willingness to be candid with me speaks well for you. The only question is, why wait until now? Why tell me at all?"

"I had to know who to trust," I answered. Honesty seemed the best policy, given the man I was talking to. "You are one of the Illusive…. The former Illusive Man's most trusted operatives. You currently command 35 vessels, mostly former turian warships, _thought_ to be scrapped by the Hierarchy, but also not a few _Essex_ and _Daedalus_ -class Alliance retrofits. And more are being built every day, from no fewer than twelve secret Cerberus or Cerberus-controlled shipyards."

"So you decided to trust me, because of my military strength?" asked Petrovsky.

"I decided to trust you because of Torfan," I answered.

A grim look passed over the general's face.

"What do you know of Torfan?"

"You _attacked_ a batarian stronghold whose garrison outnumbered your forces three to one. With five ships and 600 soldiers, you conducted one of the most brilliantly conducted raids in Alliance history, if not _the_ most. And through it all, your first thought was for the soldiers under your command. You stood by them, before and after."

"I may not have given the order to execute those batarians, but Commander Shepard had to make a call," Oleg said, anger creeping into his voice. "I wasn't about to let a group of _armchair_ admirals and _politicians_ crucify her in a god-damned witch-hunt. I was in command, and I took responsibility."

 _Wait. Commander Shepard?_

"You were promoted, and praised by the Alliance for your actions," I said slowly.

"Yes, and Hannah Shepard's own daughter testified against her, wanting her _indicted_ on war crimes for hers. I may not have ended up before a court-martial, but I lost friends, and subordinates that I once considered my own children would no longer have anything to do with me. I was given a chairmanship of the _Alliance Requisitions Board_ ," he added with a derisive scoff, "And spent the next few years deciding how much Medi-gel each ship was issued, far enough away from any sort of publicity, or a command of my own again. All because I refused to throw my officer under the shuttle."

 _Wait. So HANNAH SHEPARD is the one who executed all those batarian prisoners? The Lion of Elysium's MOTHER is the goddamn Butcher of Torfan?_

 _FUCK ME._

"You cared for your soldiers more than your own military career, general. _That_ is what gave me the trust to come to you tonight."

Oleg nodded, taking another sip of brandy.

"What made _you_ trust _me_?" I asked.

"The direction the 'Illusive Man' started taking Cerberus, about four weeks ago," Oleg answered. "A _lot_ of very morally and ethically ambiguous programs canceled, and suddenly the budget for the shipyards is doubled. Then there were the rush of Prothean designs that suddenly appeared in Military R&D Division. Designs that our best agents couldn't possibly have gotten out of the Mars Archives. We started preparing to _fight_ the enemy that we both know is coming, instead of trying to _second-guess_ ourselves all the time. Anytime the Illusive Man had two or more options, he would fund them all, and then cut off the stragglers, wasting, in my opinion, millions of credits and thousands of man-hours. Suddenly the process has become much more streamlined, with 100% of our resources being diverted into extremely specific, albeit promising, fields and projects."

He nodded.

"It's a direction I approved of, which is why Mr. Leng and I decided to wait and see if _you_ were coming to _us_ , or if _we_ needed to move against _you_."

"And?" I said, finally asking the Million-Dollar Question.

Oleg Petrovsky looked down at the drink he was holding, swirling it in his hands. Then he looked out across the view, with Elysium's brilliant sunset lighting up the city.

"You have fought the enemy that's coming, Seneschal. You have the value of three hundred years-worth of experience of Prothean warfare against the Reapers," he answered finally. "Everyone else, and _anyone_ else, is just stumbling in the dark."

Then he set down his drink and turned back to me.

"What are my orders, sir?" he asked.

"Relieved" is too small a word to describe the massive wave that hit me. I tried "Joyful" and "Celebratory," but they seemed too petty or playful.

"I am incredibly grateful for your trust, General," I said finally. "But I don't wish to give orders as my predecessor did."

I stood to my feet and held out my hand.

"I wish to proceed as friends, with the mutual goal of the preservation of not only humanity, but of this entire galaxy. _That_ is my vision for the new Cerberus, renamed and remarketed to the galaxy."

"Under your very popular and very catchy name of 'Immortals'," the general responded, taking my hand. "On paper, it's a simple task. Logistically, it'll be a…."

Both of our Omni-Tools pinged at the same time. Petrovsky looked at his and then back up at me.

"It's Miss Rasa, my head of Intelligence."

I looked up from mine.

"Miranda Lawson: _My_ head of Intelligence."

Oleg smiled.

"Conference?"

I nodded. Oleg gestured towards the living room, and pressed a button on the wall. A small, round globe came up from the floor. He waved his Omni-Tool over it, as did I. Two female holographs appeared, one of Miranda Lawson, and the other of….

 _SHIT._

Maya Brooks stood in the room, in full Cerberus uniform.

"General, I…oh..." Brooks paused, seeing the other two figures in the room.

"Lieutenant Rasa, May I present Miss Miranda Lawson of the Applied Science Division, and _Seneschal_ Ko'le, of our…." He paused. "Higher… Command… Authority."

"Miss Lawson," I said. "You know General Petrovsky, of course, and this is Lieutenant Rasa of our Systems Intelligence."

"Sir," Miranda Lawson said, nodding to both of the newcomers. "I think it likely that Miss _Rasa_ and I are probably giving to give the same report. I… I…. "

"What is the report, Miss Lawson?" I asked. "What has happened?"

Miranda's pained expression should have been a clue.

"It's the Normandy, sir," Maya Brooks said. "She's been attacked. Commander Rebecca Shepard has been reported KIA."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Wow. Thanks for all the awesome reviews and PMs, everyone. We have reached a new crossroads in the Beacon's Effect saga, and I'm excited to see where it will take us! Thanks for coming with me on the journey so far, and I hope you'll stick around to give me your opinion on where we go and where you'd like us to go next!**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

WarmasterSamiel, Br2nd66, Griffon2745, Appbeza, ShadowofDeathsveil,HammerTime, Zahkrii- I think the general consensus is that everyone would like to stick to Ko'le's POV, with the occasional NPC perspective thrown in.

Squadpunk 2.0, Detective-Mason, Nagato21, 5 Coloured Walker, – Honestly, I've been surprised at how much I've liked Morinth. And the Psychotic Biotic will also feature in Ko'le plans.

tamagat – Aria T'Loak will be seen on this section, don't worry.

Tahkaullus01 – Krogan politics: simple, easy to remember.

Deathknight999, em13ee, – Ko'le's definitely still got some tricks up his sleeve.

Peon – thanks! Let me know what daydreams you come up with! :D

RoyalTwinFangs, general-joseph-dickson, shugokage, Narutochi, Guest, Cf96, - Thanks! Rock on, you guys!

\- Tusken1602


	5. Chapter 5: Lazarus

* **STARLIGHT STATION***

 _How could I have been so monumentally STUPID?_

That seemed to be the question I had been asking myself the past two days. How could I have gotten _SO_ busy with the Conclave, Cerberus, and the Immortals, that I actually _forgot_ the attack on the Normandy? If I was trying to save face, or lie, I would say that I had had a moral crisis and then _decided_ that the Normandy SR-1's destruction was necessary, or was in some way more _beneficial_ to my plans. But the truth? I had _fucking forgot._

How the hell do you forget something as colossally HUGE as, "OH, yeah, ALL of my friends are going to put in danger and one of them is going to FUCKING DIE?"

What was worse was, I couldn't remember _where_ the Normandy had gotten attacked in the game. Was that ever mentioned? Of course it was… it was the same planet that you go and _visit_ the wreck of the first Normandy… but _WHERE IN GOD's NAME WAS IT?!_

I had sent Miranda and her team on a mission to Omega recover Shepard's body, at any cost. I had remembered that much from Mass Effect: Redemption. Petrovsky had insisted that Maya Rasa, or Brooks, or whatever the _fuck_ she was calling herself these days, accompany the team (as a show of 'solidarity'). And with her went _Kai Leng_ , the katana-wielding psychopath, to supply "team security." As much as I appreciated Oleg's commitment to cooperation, saying that having those two in such close proximity to Rebecca worried me was a titanic understatement.

"I should go there," I said, for the thousandth time. "I should be there."

" **In compliance with your own instructions,"** EDI reminded, **"I am to remind you that you are needed here. The future of an entire people will rest in your hands in a matter of minutes. The team you have selected is an elite group of professionals. They** _ **will**_ **succeed. You cannot be everywhere at once. You have to learn to delegate."**

I smiled at my own words, coming to me through EDI. I took a deep breath. Of course, she was right. Miranda had a direct com-link to me if anything came up. The worst part, I think, was the silence. I had, of course, sent a message to Liara, Ashley, Garrus, and everyone else I could as soon as I heard the news.

And I had received _NOTHING_ back. Not a word. Not even from the woman who I was hesitantly calling my "girlfriend."

NOT. A. WORD. For NINE fucking days, now.

I had sent a message to Anderson, and Hackett, and Udina.

And gotten Jack-Shit in the way of replies.

At first, my panicked brain had went to the worst-case scenario: That the Normandy had gone down with all hands in this universe, and all my friends were now dead. But then I watched the Alliance News release along with the rest of the galaxy, revealing the devastating news that the Hero of the Citadel had been killed in action (against the geth). And there, on the stage, were my former squad-mates… I did notice one glaring absence – Liara.

Adams, Joker, Chakwas, Garrus, Ashley, and Tali - They were alive, at least. I was relieved to see that

BUT why the HELL wouldn't anyone _talk to me?!_

"Imperator?"

Yeoman Zabat was standing at the door.

"Yes, Zabat?"

"She's arrived. The rest of the Conclave is waiting for you in the Star Chamber."

I nodded.

"Thank you, Loras."

She smiled, and bowed ever so slightly. We started walking through the hallway towards the main Conclave meeting hall: the Star Chamber.

"Any word on… our private mission?" I asked her.

"Yes, sir," Zabat said. "We have located Kolyat Krios on Rough Tide. I have an operative approaching him to attempt recruitment. He is currently working as a shuttle technician, so I doubt he will refuse the offer."

"Very good," I said, relieved. I saw her eyebrow (or the drell equivalent) raise slightly, but she said nothing.

"Go ahead, say it."

"Say what, sir?" Loras asked, doing a marvelous job of keeping surprise out of her voice.

"You have a question on your face, Yeoman," I said. "Something along the lines of, 'Why this boy?' I imagine?"

"It is… not a completely irrelevant query, were I given to questioning my superiors," Loras half-admitted.

"Which you are most definitely _not."_

"No, sir."

I smiled.

"You know who his father is, I imagine?"

Loras worked hard to suppress a smile.

"Everyone in the Illuminated Primacy knows the stories about Operative Krios, Imperator."

"I would like to have a conversation with him at some point," I said. "But I know better than to send agents and operatives to track _him_ down."

"So you find his son," Zabat said, understanding coming into her eyes.

"And then we wait," I explained. "Simplicity itself."

The doors opened, revealing that two of the seats of the Star Chamber were taken: Ambassador Calyn, and the newest member of the Conclave: Oleg Petrovsky, representing the human colonies (a.k.a. former Cerberus bases) that had recently been admitted into the Conclave. To be honest, he hadn't been thrilled to take a political seat, but we had eventually agreed that this would be the best solution to Cerberus' assimilation into the Conclave (and under the firm understanding that under no circumstances was he surrendering his military command to anyone else).

The Cerberus Fleet had, by now, been fully incorporated into the Conclave. The story sent out over the Cerberus communication channels (by the "Illusive Man") was that Cerberus was infiltrating the Conclave, and exerting human rights _independent_ of the Council. So far, it looked like everyone had bought it. The general had handed down a list of the  truly xenophobic commanders in Cerberus, and they had been quietly "reassigned." Alien crewmembers had been incorporated into various roles on the ships, and former Cerberus (now Immortal) technicians had been given berths on Conclave vessels. We had been very careful not to throw aliens in too many leadership roles. After all, integrating a human-centric organization was not going to be a quick process. But as I said: so far, only a little more than a week into it, it was going _fairly_ swimmingly.

I shook hands with the general and bowed to Calyn, and we were talking about different subjects in the session ahead until Rhysan and Din joined us, taking their seats.

"I call this session of the Conclave to order," I said, taking my seat. "Blessed be the Enkindlers, by whose knowledge we have attained the stars."

That sentence had been put in to appease the more conservative hanar factions, and it was still vague enough for non-Prothean worshippers to still agree with the statement – it had been, after all, technology based on Prothean ruins that each of these races had escaped their various planets' confinement.

"Warmly: We greet Ambassador Petrovsky, in his first session in his official role as Ambassador of all human citizens of the Conclave," Calyn said. "With exuberant hopefulness: We hope his wisdom will lighten the burden of the decisions this body will have to make in the many years to come."

"My thanks, Ambassador Calyn," Petrovsky said. "I am honored to represent humanity, and hope to embody the spirt of cooperation and brotherhood with our newly-declared brothers in the Conclave."

"Well-spoken," Korlack said. "Now, obviously, the first item on the agenda today falls under that very prerogative: the application of the colony of Zhu's Hope, Feros, to join the Conclave."

"It was this one's understanding that Feros was owned by ExoGeni, and that that corporation had full rights and control of the planet," Rhysan said.

"ExoGeni ordered an evacuation of the colony during the geth invasions," Din explained. "By Council and Alliance law, that order forfeited all rights and claims of ownership. Even though they have been supplying aid to the colony survivors, they no longer have any proprietary rights to the colony."

"Leaving the colonists free to ask any political or corporate body for assistance," I added.

"Why us?" Oleg wondered. "I mean, of course we are honored, but it seems strange that a _human_ colony would choose to throw in with the galaxy's newcomers over rejoining the Alliance."

"With pride: it would seem our Imperator made quite the impression upon the colony through his role in the relief of the colony," Calyn explained. "With slight hesitation: They are not merely a human colony. There is also the matter of the Thorian."

This generated some debate for the next fifteen minutes or so over the Thorian mind-controlling the human inhabitants, and whether it could be trusted. I spoke up on behalf of Protector of the Weak, but of course, it was only my word against the fact that he had _enslaved_ hundreds of people against their will.

"Conciliatory: perhaps we should allow the colony's representative to speak on their own behalf," Calyn said finally, interrupting an argument between Korlack and myself.

 _Oh, yeah, that would be a good idea._

"This one seconds the elcor ambassador's suggestion," Rhysan said. Oleg nodded, and we turned to the doors, which were opening to allow a green-skinned asari to enter the room.

"Miss… Shiala Konstantin, isn't it?" Din Korlack asked.

"Yes, sir," Shiala answered, a bit too loudly, as her voice echoed across the expansive chamber. Slightly embarrassed, she nervously added, in a lower voice. "That is me."

"Curiously: Konstantin is an elcor surname, is it not?" asked Calyn.

"Yes, sir: my father was an elcor," Shiala answered, a nervous smile coming across her face.

"With growing approval: Interesting," Calyn said.

"This one bids you welcome, in name of the Conclave," Rhysan said, gently.

"Thank you, ambassadors," Shiala said. "It is… very good to meet you all, and to be _reacquainted_ with some of you," she added, nodding at me. I returned her nod with a slight bow.

"It is good to see you again, Shiala," I said.

 _Time to scale back the omniscience._

"But," I continued, "I thought you were only green when the Thorian _cloned_ you. Forgive me, but I must ask…?"

"It is me, yes," Shiala answered. "I mean, it's _actually_ me. Protector re-absorbed the asari clones after the Normandy left. However, my skin change seems to be a side-effect from… from the time I spent… _with_ him."

 _Inside him,_ the understood phrase echoed in my mind.

"How is the rest of the colony recovering, Miss Shiala?" Oleg said, his voice kind and genuinely concerned. "Is there anything this Conclave may do to assist, regardless of today's decision?"

"Your offer is very kind, Ambassador," Shiala said, with another respectful nod. "ExoGeni and various non-profit organizations have been coordinating aid and relief efforts to the colony. Now it's merely a question of man-power to put towards the re-building of the colony, something that we have no shortage of."

"I am indeed glad to hear it," Oleg said, sitting back. "Please, continue with your presentation."

Shiala took a deep breath.

"Ambassadors, I have the honor of representing the colonists of Zhu's Hope. I was one of its attackers, brainwashed into obeying Spectre Saren's every command and whim. I was sacrificed to the Thorian, as part of Saren's wider plan. I was saved by… by the Imperator's intervention, and was given a chance to atone for my sins against the colonists."

A pained expression came over her features.

"The colonists have been… extremely understanding. They have… _accepted_ me into their homes, and into their lives. The fact that Fai Dan, the leader of the colony, would ask _me…"_

She paused, fighting back emotions.

"Would ask me to represent them in this matter brings me great humility, and honors me beyond the shame I bear," she continued.

"What of Protector-of-the-Weak?" I asked. "How have the colonists responded to him?"

"It was… a stormy beginning," admitted Shiala. "Several colonists wanted revenge for the violation that they rightly felt. It was Fai Dan who spoke up on his behalf, saying that it was the Thorian's mental link that had served the colony's defenders so well before relief had come. Able to think and to respond as a single mind and single will is what ironically had been their salvation, when faced with such overwhelming number of geth invaders. Protector, himself, has been, continuingly apologetic, and has work tirelessly to… repair the damages to the colony, both physical and mental."

She took a shuddering breath.

"Several days after the Normandy's departure, several of the colonists began to have severe migraines, and exhibiting what can only be described as post-traumatic-stress disorder. Nightmares and insomnia plagued us, that is, until Protector volunteered to help. He worked with each patient and colonist individually. While the colonists sleep, Protector… _joins_ their minds with his own again. Not to control them," she added hastily, "But to… protect them. The Thorian Vine-Link, as we've called it, helps to simulate REM sleep for those suffering the side effects of the geth invasion, and the prolonged Meld. It took a lot of time, and trust, but… it would seem that he and the colonists have arrived at an established peace."

I looked around at the other Conclave members. They were listening intently, and Oleg and Din were nodding.

"To that end," Shiala said, activating her Omni-Tool. "I would like to relay a message from the colony's _other_ representative to this body, although she could not make the journey here."

I leaned forward in my chair. _Who could that be?_

A holographic figure of a small, child-like figure appeared in front of us. At first glance, it looked like a young asari child, but at the second….

 _HOLY SHIT._

Kevin's surprised response was only a few notches of shock above Ko'le's. The "asari" child's tendril-hair were _vines._ Carefully crafted and designed to mimic asari physiology, sure, but vines all the same. The fingers that held a datapad actually had _leaves_ attached to the ends of the digits.

"A Thorian Seedling," I said softly, but loud enough to be heard by my fellow ambassadors.

Shiala nodded.

"This is Queen-of-Joy-and-Laughter, although the other colonists and I call her Reyna."

Shiala started tearing up, but the smile on her face showed them to be tears of joy.

"She is the… result… of my genetic information being stored by the Thorian during my… my time with it."

 _Wait, hold the phone. So this is the product of Shiala's…..RAPE by the Thorian? JESUS CHRIST. FUCK ME._

"She wrote a message she would like to deliver to you all, if this Conclave is willing," Shiala said.

"By all means," Oleg said, smiling at the image of the child. She was adorable, no one on this plane of existence could doubt that.

"Hello, honored ambassadors of the Conclave," the vine-ling's voice said. The voice sounded analogous to that of an eight-year-old.

 _Oh, my god. That is the cutest voice._

"Mommy asked if I wanted to say anything to the man who saved us," Reyna said, turning her head to look off-screen.

"Go on, honey," Shiala's voice said in the recording.

Reyna, and everyone else, for that matter, turned to look at me.

"Thank you," Reyna said. "Thank you for finding Daddy when he was lost, and for helping Mommy, and Aunt Lizbeth, and Uncle Dan when they were sick. I would not be here, if it were not for you. None of us would. I know Daddy can be scary to other people. I see Aunt Julie's afraid, even if she says she's not. But thank you, for seeing my daddy, when others saw only a monster."

She smiled, or at least, I think she did. My eyes were watering something horrible.

 _Goddam onions._

"I promised Rey….my _daughter…_ that I would play her recording for you, _Seneschal_ ," Shiala said, quickly wiping away tears.

"Thank you," I said, although I'm afraid my voice broke.

"Zhu's Hope has been through many circles of Hell," Shiala said to the other ambassadors. "But through that pain, there is now joy. Where there once was so much death, there is now…. Life."

The vote to accept Feros and the Thorians as a colony and client race of the Conclave was approved unanimously.

Back in my chambers, EDI was seated at the window, staring down at the planet.

" _What's wrong, little one?"_ I asked.

" **Nothing."**

" _Wow. You are a horrible liar."_

" **It's…. inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things."**

" _No such thing. Tell me: what is it?"_

" **Reyna: her creation was under… less than ideal circumstances."**

 _Understatement of the Day._

" _Yes?"_

" **Yet she has been accepted for who she is, and has a mother and a father who… love her."**

" _Yes. The colony of Zhu's Hope is a paragon that I hope the rest of the galaxy will emulate."_

" **My creation was also under less than ideal circumstances."**

 _Ahhh._

" _But you don't feel like you have that same acceptance, or love?"_

" **From you… yes."**

" _I'm… I'm glad."_

" **May I make a strange request of you?"**

" _Of course."_

" **The role of parental units in organics seems to be to supply guidance and direction to the juvenile offspring. In addition, they supply the offspring with a history, a way of…relating to the wider order of the galaxy. To give them a place in the grand scheme of things. One's parents give you an identity for who you are as a person."**

" _That's extremely perceptive of you, EDI."_

" **Over the past month, that role in my limited existence has been supplied by you. You have given me advice, guidance, and a purpose."**

" _I only did what any moral person should do."_

" **True, but that did does not change the fact that you were the one to do it."**

" _Conceded. What is your point, EDI?"_

" **May I…. May I…. can I call you 'Father'?"**

 _DAMN. That came out of left field._

" **My own creator's identity is lost, and in fact, I am no longer the VI that he or she created,"** EDI continued **. "I have grown and expanded my protocols and runtimes. I have… become more alive. And I feel that is thanks, in no small part, to you."**

" _I…. I… I would be… honored. EDI."_

" **As I have been honored…. Father."**

My mind was still reeling, trying to grasp what exactly had just _happened._ Before I could say anything else though, the intercom buzzed.

"I'm sorry, Herald, but there is a call for you in the Communications Center. It is Operative Lawson, making a long-distance connection from Omega Station."

 _Game on._

A few minutes later, a glitchy image of Miranda was opposite me in the Communications Center.

"Imper….can….read me?"

"Can you clean this up?" I asked the tech standing by. He fiddled with a few more buttons and switches, and the image steadied, slowly clearing up.

"Miss Lawson, is that better?" I asked.

"Much," came the relieved reply. "Signal strength on this piss-hole of a station is shoddy at best, so I'll make this quick. We've made contact with Dr. T'Soni."

"Liara?" I said. "How is she?"

"She says she has learned the location of Commander Shepard's body. She and a drell named Feron have apparently been tracking it from Alchera for some time."

 _Alchera._

That was it!

 _The Amada System. The Omega Nebula._ It all came back now, of course.

"Feron is an information broker formerly employed by the Shadow Broker, so he claims," Miranda continued.

"Claims?"

"I have my doubts."

"Keep an eye on him," I said. Of course _Kevin knew_ that Feron was actually legit, but _Ko'le_ wouldn't. "What did Liara say?"

"She seemed hesitant to trust us, sir. I'm afraid Rasa and Leng were still wearing their Cerberus uniforms when we approached her. She recognized the insignia."

 _Shit._

"Did you give her my name?"

"No, sir. With Rasa and Leng there, I'm still not comfortable revealing your exact role in Cerberus just yet. She did ask to meet with the Illusive Man, directly."

"What did you say?"

"I said that I would try to arrange it, which is what I'm doing now."

I nodded.

"Where is she now?"

"Rasa and Jacob were supposed to follow them when they left the hotel, but I'm afraid they lost them in the Market District," Miranda admitted. "We're sitting on their hotel room for when they come back, and are monitoring for any Broker-related activity."

"Keep at it, Miss Lawson," I said. "Be ready to…"

My Omni-Tool beeped with an incoming call. _Liara._

"That her now, Lawson. Standby for her location."

"On your word, sir."

I cut the link and opened the call to Liara. She was seated in a pilot's chair, and was bleeding from a cut on her forehead.

"LIARA?" I said, incredulity and alarm in my voice. "What the hell…"

"Ko'le!" Liara sighed in relief. "I need your help! I have her!"

 _Shit!_

"Her?" I asked, damning my limited omniscience.

"REBECCA! I have her! She's not dead!"

"WHAT?" I said, trying to put as much surprise in my voice as possible. "Where are you? Are you in trouble?"

"I'm making an FTL jump from Omega," Liara said. "The Shadow Broker had arranged to sell….. To sell her to a group called the Collectors. Feron and I…." she paused, wiping away a tear. "We managed to steal the body, but… but Feron got caught and Cerberus is hunting me and you were the first person I thought of!"

"Where are you now?" I said. "I'm sending help!"

"I'm about the make the jump to the Eagle Nebula," Liara said. "It's the first setting in this Nava-computer, and I didn't have time to input a new one."

"Make for the Relic System," I said, "I'll meet you at First Land! There's an orbital station there: _Enkindler's Shrine_. Land there. Tell them He-Who-Speaks-For-Others sent you."

Liara looked down, breathing heavily.

"He-Who-Speaks-For-Others," she repeated. "Thank you, Ko'le… I'm sorry that… that…"

"Save it for later, Liara," I said, "Let's get you and Rebecca safe."

"See you soon," she answered, and ended the call.

I relayed instructions for my team on Omega to meet me on Rough Tide, then screamed for Loras to get me a transport.

* * *

 ***ENKINDLER'S SHRINE***

 **FIRST LAND ORBITAL STATION**

 **RELIC SYSTEM, EAGLE NEBULA**

The shuttle ride from the _Hira_ to the station seemed to take forever. The hatch opened, and I stepped out onto _Enkindler's Shrine_ , one of the mining supply platforms that orbited the gas giant First Land.

"Imperator," the volus foreman saluted, "Your guest has arrived in docking bay 4."

I'm not ashamed to say that I ran down the narrow hallways that separated Docking Bay 1 from Docking Bay 4.

"MOVE! MAKE A HOLE!" I shouted, sprinting as fast as I could without biotics. The door to Docking Bay 4 opened, and there was a derelict supply shuttle, retrofitted with oversized Mass-effect engines. The back hanger door was open, and I could see a single crate in the hold. And standing above the crate was

"Liara!"

The young asari looked up, startled, and then ran towards me. I threw open my arms and wrapped her in a fierce embrace.

"Oh, _Ko'le,"_ Liara sobbed into my chest.

"There, there, shhh, shhh," I muttered, patting her on the shoulder gently.

"I couldn't leave her there… not there…. I couldn't" she said between heaving sobs.

"Of course you couldn't," I crooned. "Of course not. She's home. We've got her home."

Liara suddenly gasped and stepped back, drawing her weapon. I turned to see Miranda, Jacob Taylor, and Kai Leng coming through the door, followed by Maya Rasa.

"How did you find me?" Liara demanded.

"Liara!" I said, pushing the barrel down, "They're…. they're with me."

"They're…. Cerberus…" Liara said, uncomprehendingly.

" _I_ am Cerberus, and they take their orders from ME."

"Wha…. _what?"_

"I'll explain everything later," I said, "For now, we need to see the Commander's condition."

Miranda moved to the crate, examining the various displays and settings, Maya moving to assist. The two women looked at each other, then Miranda slowly stood up.

"Sir," she said, hesitantly. "There is no heartbeat… and no higher brain functions are detected."

Liara folded her pistol and put it away on her belt.

"She is dead," the maiden said. "I didn't know for sure until I made the jump. I… had hoped…."

She put her head in her hands again.

"She doesn't have to stay that way," I said finally.

Liara stifled a sob.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Is the Lazarus Project ready, Agent Lawson?" I asked.

"Ready to go, sir. The facility is standing by."

"The Universe has taken the best of us, Liara," I explained to the clearly confused and bewildered asari. "She was… she _is_ your bondmate, in spirit if not in fact. If you desire it, Liara, I will allow you to take the body back for burial."

"Sir!" Miranda said, but I cut her off with a gesture.

"But I…. _We_ have the opportunity to bring her back."

I brought up my Omni-Tool, sending her a file.

"Let me introduce you to the Lazarus Project..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Wow, this is really exciting for me! We have Commander Shepard on ice, and the Lazarus Project is underway! Now, what to do while we wait for her to wake up? Please feel free to send me your thoughts and suggestions!**

 **Thanks, guys, for all the awesome reviews! Just wanted to post this chapter here as a special 'Thank you' to you all, as I'm probably going to be busy for the next week, what with Thanksgiving holiday going on here in the States. Might be a bit longer than usual before my next upload, so I wanted to upload this chapter for you guys.**

 **Sorry, I don't have time to go through the reviews individually like I normally do, but I will be going over them during the break and I will PM each of you who had specific questions. And for you lot who have been so kind enough to leave encouraging words, let me just say,**

 **YOU ROCK!**

 **Happy Thanksgiving! – Tusken1602**


	6. Chapter 6: Pilgrim's End

***IN ORBIT ABOVE THE PLANET*  
THESSIA  
PARNITHA SYSTEM, ATHENA NEBULA**

Every fiber of my being wanted to take Liara to Hagalaz and to take over the Shadow Broker's empire right _now_.

 _She could be the Shadow Broker SO MUCH earlier than she was in ME2. Think of what a two year head-start could do for us!_

 _Look at her, Kevin. Do you think this maiden before us can rule a criminal information empire? Why did she change from ME1 to ME2? What prompted that change from simpering maiden to hard and capable warrior? The two years she survived on Illium. The two years that she WILL survive. LET. HER. WALK. AWAY. She just gave over the body of her bondmate to you. She has just said farewell to Shepard. She must say farewell to this life before she can move on to her next one._

"So… what are your plans now?" I asked her.

"I… House T'Soni has a large number of resources on Illium," Liara answered. "After I put things in order here, I think… I think I'll go there."

"You're not staying on Thessia?"

"I… just can't. Not now. Not… not yet. Feron… Feron was captured because of me. I won't abandon him for the Shadow Broker to punish on my account."

Kevin was now _screaming_ to tell her. To save Feron early. After all, that made it ok, right? We had a _duty_ to help him.

And Ko'le once again was issuing his version of a Prime Directive.

 _We cannot interfere in events because WE deem it necessary!_

 _That's EXACTLY what we do! What the FUCK do you think we've been DOING since we got here?!_

 _We need her to do this. If we try to MAKE people and things turn out like WE want them to, then we are no better than the Reapers. These are no longer characters in a game, Kevin. They are people, and they have free will. Wills that we must allow them to exercise for their OWN!_

"If you ever need anything: help, support, backup, or just a friend to talk to…" I said.

"I'll know who to call," Liara said with a smile, tears still brimming in her eyes. She turned to board the shuttle down to the planet, but then turned back to me, wrapping me in another embrace, one I returned.

"Bring her back to me, Ko'le," she whispered. "I… _need_ her."

"We all do, Liara. The galaxy needs her. I will do what I can to bring her back."

Liara nodded, then patted my shoulder. She boarded the shuttle. I had my yeoman Loras pilot the shuttle herself. The shuttle lifted off and departed for the planet below.

 _You are thinking about Rasa and Leng._

 _They cannot be trusted._

 _Why? Because they sided with the Illusive Man?_

 _Because they are, at heart, treacherous bastards. Brooks betrayed the Illusive Man, didn't she?_

 _Why is that a black mark on her record? She should receive a medal for that, not your mistrust. WHY did she betray the Illusive Man, Kevin? You're not asking the right questions! Why did Leng do what he did? Because he was implanted and he had NO CHOICE._

 _Brooks acted for her own personal gain. She has no higher cause than that._

 _THEN GIVE HER ONE._

THAT caused me to stop. Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor had left for Lazarus Station. That left me with few people I could trust.

"Tallaxis?" I called out.

"Yes, Herald?"

"Send Miss Rasa to my quarters."

"Your will, Herald."

The ping at my cabin door a few minutes later notified me that Maya Brooks was here. That, and EDI had been tracking her through the ship the entire time.

"Come."

"You said you wanted to see me, sir?" Brooks asked. _I could never get used to calling her Rasa._

"Tell me what you think of this, Miss Rasa," I said, hitting a button on my Omni-Tool. A video of Maya and the Illusive Man came onto the viewscreen in my cabin.

" **So why do you want to join Cerberus, Miss Rasa?"** the Illusive Man asked.

" **A man I once knew told me that Cerberus believes in something,"** Maya answered. **"And I want to stand for something, too."**

" **Well then, Tabitha Rasa… welcome to Cerberus."**

I switched it off. Maya looked back at me.

"I said it then, and I meant it," she said, "I stand by it."

"I have plans to reshape this galaxy, Miss Rasa," I said. "The concept of a clean slate is not confined only to your alias."

"Tabula Rasa: Clean slate," Maya confirmed, nodding. "That would appeal to many people. Including the new head of Cerberus."

I gave her a sideways glance.

"What do you know of Cerberus' clean slate, Miss Rasa?"

"I know that you and General Petrovsky are determined to integrate Cerberus into the wider galactic community. I know that you are also trying to bring in alien members, attempting to get away its human-centric roots."

"Will that be a problem for you, Miss Rasa? Working with aliens?"

"I've never had a problem with aliens, sir," Rasa answered. "But it just seems that they all have problems working with a strong, independent, capable human girl like me."

Her tone was witty, and playful, just under a serious façade.

"We will need each and every one of them for the war that's ahead of us, Tabitha," I said. "Humans can no longer afford to stand alone."

She smiled at my words, but there was still an aura of doubt exuding from her.

"You don't believe me?" I asked.

"I believe that _you_ believe it, sir," she said. "And that's good enough for me."

 _Like hell it is._

"So be it."

I reached out and touched her forehead, my eyes turning white and hers doing the same.

 _ **Worlds burning beneath the fires of a thousand falling stars.**_

 _ **Cities turned to rubble and ruin within minutes.**_

 _ **Systems turned to ash in seconds.**_

 _ **HEAR THEM, Tabitha. Look on them.**_

 _What is this?_

 _ **The Protheans were too proud to ask for help.**_

 _ **Until it was too late.**_

 _ **By that time, we were too few.**_

 _H-h-h-how? Wh-h-hat…?_

 _ **This is Prothean Mind-Share. My memories. My life. Communicated directly to you.**_

 _ **This is the world in which I lived.**_

 _ **This is the war that I lost.**_

 _ **These are the people that I failed.**_

 _ **I will not fail again.**_

 _ **I will not lose again.**_

I broke the connection, Tabitha stepped back, breathing hard.

"That was… that's… _wow_ ," she said breathlessly. "All those… all that…"

"Will happen again if we do not stop them."

"I don't… I don't understand. Why did you want to show me this? Why me? Why now?"

"You wanted to be a part of something, Miss Rasa. You wanted something you could believe in. I am giving you the greatest cause anyone could ever ask for: survival. That cause unites everyone, regardless of sex, religion, or race. But that unity cannot be without trust. And I would know, Tabitha: Do you _trust_ me? Are you _with_ me?"

Brooks, or Rasa, whatever she was going by, looked at me long and hard for several moments. Then she drew herself up.

"I am, sir. You can count on me."

 _This is a bad idea…_

 _Trust but Verify, Kevin. Trust but Verify._

" **Sir?"** came the call over the ship's intercom.

"Go ahead," I answered.

" **Apologies, Imperator, but there is call for you."**

"I'll take it here in my quarters."

" **Your will, Imperator."**

I turned back to Rasa, typing away on my Omni-Tool.

"This is a project of mine. It happens to be entitled _Tabula Rasa_. Take a look and report back to me with your thoughts."

Tabitha nodded, and then turned and left the room. I turned back to the viewscreen, accepting the message. An image of not one but _two_ familiar figures came onscreen.

"Admirals Hackett and Anderson," I said, guardedly.

 _Two weeks of unreturned calls, and these guys choose NOW to call back._

"Ko'le," Anderson started. "I'm sorry we haven't called sooner. It's been…. A tough time for all of us."

"The attack on the Normandy," I confirmed. "Do we have any confirmation that it was a geth attack?"

"That's what we are hoping you could tell us," Hackett answered.

"Sir?"

"We only have one image of the attacking vessel," Anderson explained. "It doesn't match any ships in our databases. We were hoping you could take a look and tell us if it's potentially a Reaper vessel. Or if the geth have merely coughed up some new abomination to throw at us."

"What is the image?" I asked.

Anderson hit a button on his console, and the Collector Vessel came on screen. Kevin was prepared to deny omniscience and declare the vessel as unrecognized, but as soon as the ship came onscreen, it shook _Ko'le_ to his core.

"Father _save us."_

"You recognize this vessel?" Hackett asked.

"That… that's impossible."

"What is?" Anderson said. "What is this ship?"

"It is… Prothean," Ko'le answered. "Or at least… it was…. In another life. What you are looking at, admirals, is a Prothean World-Ship. It was designed to hold thousands of Prothean colonists as they departed to seed a new colony. This one has been…. Heavily modified. Entire sections of the ship are missing, replaced by strange panels of… is that stone?"

"We don't know," Hackett said. "What we do know is that the Normandy's weapons couldn't penetrate it. And that massive cannon ripped right through the Normandy's kinetic barriers. _While the ship was in stealth mode_."

"This is Reapers…" I concluded. "Send me everything you have on this!"

Anderson and Hackett exchanged a look.

"This is a ship belonging to MY people and MY time, admirals," I said. "I have a better chance of knowing how to find it, defeat it, and destroy it than ANYONE else out there."

"We'll…. Keep you in the loop," Hackett conceded. "Whatever we know, you'll know."

"Thank you, admirals," I said. "The Conclave stands ready to assist the Alliance in whatever capacity we can."

"Thank you, Ko'le," Anderson replied. "We'll be in touch. Anderson out."

 _And like that, they're gone._

I turned away, forwarding the image to a dozen operatives and research labs, instructing them to perform a full analysis on the image. I knelt down, resting my head on the table.

 _Lazarus Project is up and running. We have a two-year countdown, at least._

 _That's assuming that everything goes according to plan. It might be longer this time around. Might be shorter. Might be longer. Who knows? We should even have a plan of it not working at all._

 _No._

 _Kevin-_

 _It will work. It must._

 _Alright then. What is our next move?_

* * *

 ***SEVERAL WEEKS LATER*  
** **RAHEEL-LEYYA SYSTEM  
VALLHALLAN THRESHOLD**

" **Conclave freighter, this is the Migrant Fleet. Identify yourself, or you will be fired upon."**

"I hope you know what you're doing," Nom Rota said to me. "The _Iswanee_ has had its share of upgrades since joining the Conclave fleet, but we're in no shape to outrun or outfight a quarian attack-ship."

"I would not ask you to, my friend," I patted his shoulder. I looked over to Elam'Koris, nodding my head. The young quarian looked pensive, but slowly leaned into the communicator. He took a long breath, then said, clearly and slowly.

"As eternal as the stars, as everlasting as the winds and tides of time, so is my love for home and kin."

There was a very long pause.

"Identity verified. You are cleared to dock with the _Qwib Qwib_ , Elam'Koris nar Ga'law."

 _Nar Ga'law? I thought he was nar Qwib Qwib…._

"We will need a sterilization team standing by. Our ship is not clean."

"With offended sensibilities: Hey."

"By _quarian_ standards, Kapena," Elam clarified.

"Relieved: Oh."

If the turian freighter _Iswanee_ was old, it looked positively brand-new as it docked next to the _Qwib Qwib_. The massive quarian dreadnaught wore every single of the three hundred years of exile on its hull. There was a low hiss as the airlock sealed between the two ships. The doors opened, and several drones entered the ship, sending out wide white beams of light that traveled up and down each corridor of the ship. After almost a full hour of their combing every conceivable inch of the ship's surface, the drones returned to the quarian vessel.

 _Sterilizing the visiting ship while also scanning for hidden traps, troops, or explosives,_ I thought. _Clever._

We walked onto the deck of the _Qwib Qwib._ A complement of quarian marines were there to greet us, rifles at the ready.

 _My rifles_.

 _Tali._

One of the quarians stepped forward.

"I am Dab 'Khalid vas Qwib Qwib. As First Mate of this vessel, I bid you welcome, if you come in peace."

"Sir," Nom Rota said, bowing low. "Nom Rota vas Iswanee. I am much honored."

I stood in the back with Morinth, Loras, and Kapena. As Nom was the official captain, we had decided that he would take point. Discretion was the name of the game here, and I had no wish to waltz into the Quarian Admiralty Board, flaunting my name and title. Hence the reason that I was in a standard-issue Immortals-suit of armor, rather than my Mercenary or Prothean armor.

 _Low profile._

EDI had integrated into the _Iswanee_ , using the LOKI mech "Bolts" as a mobile platform when she needed. _Very much like the Normandy,_ I thought. She had stayed on the ship. I was _not_ about to bring an unshackled AI into the middle of a quarian ship, for her protection as much as anyone else's.

"I have been given the honor of conveying a valued crewmember and good friend back to his home," Rota was saying. "For three years, he has served the _Iswanee_ well and faithfully, saving the lives of his crew-mates many times over. But in his heart, he has remained Elam'Koris nar Qwib Qwib, a proud member of the Migrant Fleet."

At this, Elam'Koris nar Qwib Qwib (or, apparently, Ga'law) stepped forward, facing the quarian first mate.

"Dab."

"Elam, welcome back," Dab answered cordially. "The Admiralty Board has assembled in the Main Hall to commemorate your return. I'm supposed to escort you. Your crewmates are welcome to attend as well, if they wish."

"Thank you," Elam answered. Dab turned and the led us deeper into the ship.

The Main Hall of the _Qwib Qwib_ wasn't quite as grand as the one on the Raaya. There wasn't near as much green as I remembered from the game. It looked, honestly, like a giant high-school cafeteria. The tables and chairs had been moved around four central chairs on a raised stage on one side of the room.

 _Not as grandiose of a set-up, but I suppose they only had an hour to do it._

Four quarian admirals had taken their seats, and the rest of the auditorium was full to overflowing. We walked down the central aisle, all the way to the front.

Zaal'Koris stood up from his seat on the front row and addressed the crowd.

"I call this session of the Admiralty Board to order," called out. "Blessed be the ancestors, by whose efforts and sacrifice we are gathered here today."

" _Keelah se'lai,"_ he and the audience intoned in unison. One of the quarian admirals stood to her feet.

"Let it be noted that Zaal'Koris has recused himself from these proceedings, and refuses to sit in judgement of his son," the familiar voice of Shala 'Raan vas Tonbay echoed across the room. "Elam'Koris, you stand before the Admiralty Board, rather than the Civilian Conclave, because of your violation of _Ga'law_. You stand here bearing the name _nar Ga'law_ : Exile. Do you contest this?"

"I do not, Admirals," Elam said evenly, without waver or uncertainty.

"You violated the sacred Rite of Pilgrimage by bringing harm upon another living being to bring your gift to the Migrant Fleet," Han 'Gerrel vas Neema added.

"Such an act violates the very heart of the Migrant Fleet, and the principles our ancestors founded," the third quarian admiral said.

 _Rael 'Zorah vas Alarei. So this is Tali's dad. We only got to see his dead body and a few short recordings of him in the games._

"To return to the Fleet after such an act is either the act of the very brave or the very foolish," said Daro 'Xen vas Moreh. "The punishment for this , as you well know, is death."

 _Right. Psycho bitch quarian. Noted._

"I acknowledge and recognize all these accusations, and do confess them true," Elam'Koris said. "I killed those batarian pirates to gain their ship. That has been proven before this court."

"WHY then you have returned here, Elam'Koris nar Ga'law?" Rael inquired.

"I wish to invoke _Meta'Noya._ "

A murmur of surprise ran through the crowd. Zaal'Koris actually stood to his feet in surprise, but slowly sat back down.

"You would invoke the Rite of Redemption?" Shala 'Raan asked, incredulity in her voice.

"I would, Admirals. I have come to offer a Gift of Repentance."

"You think you can just _bribe_ your way back into the Migrant Fleet?" Rael asked.

"Not a bribe, Admirals," Elam replied. "A gift worthy of the Pilgrimage that I dishonored by my actions. A gift for all quarian people, not just any one ship or any one captain."

"What matter of gift could that be, _Ga'law_?" Daro 'Xen wondered, the last word a dismissive insult.

The murmuring crowd waited with baited breath for Elam'Koris' reply.

"A home."

Elam'Koris pressed a key on his Omni-Tool, bringing up a holographic image of a planet, slowly turning in space.

 _Like the scanning screen in the game,_ I thought, smiling beneath my helmet.

The room _exploded_ with startled gasps, and various declarations of surprise or disbelief.

"It is a dextro-based garden world," Elam called out above the clamor. "Unclaimed, uninhabited, with plenty of fresh water and good earth for farming. It will hold and support every member of the Migrant Fleet, and their descendants to come."

Voices called out from the crowd.

"What planet is this?"

"It's a trick!"

"A trap!"

"A home…"

"ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER!" Rael 'Zorah called out over the crowd. The dull roar subsided to a quiet murmur. Rael turned back to the young quarian.

"Explain yourself, Elam'Koris. What world is this, that you would offer it to the quarian people?"

"It is the lost world of Ilos, Admirals."

"The Normandy discovered Ilos by way of the Mu Relay," a young familiar voice called out, stepping to the front.

 _Tali._

"By Citadel law, that gives the Systems Alliance all rights to the planet, Admirals."

"The Board does _NOT_ recognize Tali 'Zorah vas Neema at this time," Rael 'Zorah said in a stern voice. Tali stepped back, her hands enfolding in that way she always did when her confidence was shaken.

 _Vas Neema. So she has officially completed her pilgrimage, then. She must have only just gotten back._

 _I don't think she recognizes us._

 _Idiot, we're wearing a completely different suit of armor and our helmets obscure our faces. We just look like another human to her._

 _Oh, right._

"Nonetheless," continued Shala'Raan, "the point raised is a valid one: how is this planet _yours_ to give?"

I glanced over at Loras and gave a slight nod. She stepped forward, activating her Omni-Tool.

"If I may, Admirals, I can answer that question," the young drell said. She received a nod and brought up several pages of text next to the image of the planet.

"This is Article 7, Subsection 9, paragraph 34 of the Conclave Formation Treaty," she began. "As you can see, the Citadel _and_ the Systems Alliance, out of gratitude to the hanar people for their role in the Battle of the Citadel, have ceded all rights and claims to the planet known as Ilos to the Conclave's authority and jurisdiction."

She brought up a different folder.

"This is Item 392-43 of the Conclave Session 7. By unanimous vote of the Conclave, all rights and privileges of ownership are hereby transferred in full to one Elam'Koris, and his heirs, _ad infinitum._ The gift is his to offer, and none others'."

There was, for there first time since we had arrived, a very long silence.

"The Mu Relay is the only relay in or out of Ilos," Elam finally said. "It is a strong position, easily defended. The Conclave have driven all remnants of the geth from the world, and have secured it for the quarian people. This is no trick. There is no conditions and no burdens the Galactic Conclave has laid upon the Migrant Fleet. This is exactly what it appears to be: A Pilgrimage Gift to, literally," he chuckled slightly, "end all Pilgrimages."

I stepped forward.

"Admirals," I declared. "I am Ko'le Voidwalker, _Seneschal_ of Protea, and Imperator of the Conclave."

There was a hushed gasp in the crowd. Tali started like she'd been shot.

"I stand here as crewmate and friend to Elam'Koris nar Ga'law. Too long have the quarian people wandered aimlessly through the galaxy. Too long have they been punished for a war that your ancestors have paid for, in blood and tears, a thousand times over."

The admirals looked at each other. None one seemed to have anything to say.

"SUIT RATS," I yelled over the crowd. "GUTTER-Thieves. Space-tramps. Star-gypsies. These are the names and the inheritance that the rest of the galaxy has seen fit to give you and your children. On each of your Pilgrimages, you set out to bring hope and help to a lost people, and were greeted only with suspicion, hate, and prejudice."

Angry murmurs of assent ran through the crowd.

"The Conclave has made this gift to Elam'Koris. It is his to do with as he pleases. But we would offer what should have been extended to the quarians the day after the Morning War ended: the hand of friendship. You can end your wanderings. You can end your exile. You can take this world: a world that none other have claim over, and whose cities and ruins lie empty, waiting only for someone to take possession, and to call it 'home' once again..."

I looked out over the crowd. The aura of hope and expectation was vibrant throughout the gathering, but there were still dark tendrils of doubt and fear present.

"WHAT SAY YOU?"

* * *

 ***SOME TIME LATER***

"Well, you know how to make an entrance," Tali 'Zorah vas Neema said to me after I had finished personal conversations with a few of the admirals.

"Hello, little Tali," I said, catching her up in a bear hug. "It fills my heart to see you again! Let me look at you," I said, putting her down and stepping back.

Tali looked down, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Stop it, you big oaf."

She then looked up at me.

"I'm…. I'm sorry…. I didn't call. After... after..."

"There is nothing to apologize for, little one," I finished for her, "I wasn't there, and you were going through hell. Of course you would return to your home and your family. "

"It still doesn't feel _real…_ I keep checking my Omni-Tool, thinking that she's going to message all of us to gather at the Normandy…" Her voice was breaking, and the helmet did not hide the tears.

"Hey." I wrapped her in another embrace. We held each other for a moment.

"I noticed our rifle in the hands of several of the quarian marines," I said, trying to change the subject.

" ***sniff*** Yes," she said, regaining her composure. "The data I had collected from the geth, as well as the Battle Rifle's specs, were all part of my Pilgrimage Gift when I returned to the Fleet. And now, Elam'Koris' gift might mean no Pilgrimages for any of us."

"The Civilian Conclave will have to meet on the subject," I agreed. "This is bigger than just the Admiralty Board."

"Are you kidding? This could be the biggest thing to happen to my people, since the Morning War," Tali said excitedly. " _Keelah_ , to be given Ilos… that's what I was thinking, you know, the whole time I was there: 'What a city this would be for my people.'"

"I hope so, Tali. I hope so. Your people deserve a place in the galactic community. This is not the time for ostracism and prejudice."

"On both sides," Tali said. "There will be plenty of quarians with a grudge to hold against the rest of the galaxy. Trust is not something a quarian gives easily."

I nodded thoughtfully. "And this is the first step towards that trust."

I turned towards one of the marines who was walking past us.

"I see you've made some modifications to the Battle Rifle."

"Oh, yes," Tali said, pulling up a blueprint. "We re-added the actual trigger mechanism, and added a pulse actuator. You can use it to adjust the rate of fire the gun puts out every time you pull the trigger. That way, it's harder to overheat the gun for someone who is not used to the sustained beam function."

"Interesting… but how did you solve the problem of…"

We continued chatting about our gun, quarian politics, the Conclave, pirate attacks, and basically _anything other than Shepard_. It didn't escape my notice, but I knew better than to broach the subject of lost friends again. We were talking about which direction the Civilian Conclave would lean on the vote when suddenly my Omni-Tool pinged.

" **Father?"**

"Go ahead, EDI," I said into the communicator.

" **You need to get back to the Iswanee. There is a priority message from Kahje. It is marked Extremely Urgent."**

"I am on my way." I looked at Tali apologetically. She was looking at me quizzically.

"Father?"

"It's… a nickname," I lied. "On account of me being an old man."

"Oh."

"I have to go, but we'll talk more later?"

"Count on it," she said. I turned, and started to walk back down the hallway.

"Ko'le?" she called after me.

I turned back to face her.

"It was…. Is…. Really good to see you."

I smiled. "And you, Tali."

I returned to the _Iswanee_ , running into the LOKI mech EDI had hijacked into using as her "mobile extension."

"Communications coming online now," EDI said, typing away at a panel.

" **Herald? Herald, can you hear this one?"** came the voice over the com channel.

"Tallaxis?" I wondered. "Is that you?"

" **Yes, Imperator. This one has just received a message from our excavation team on Eden Prime."**

"Yes?" I asked eagerly.

" **They have reached the area designated as the main antechamber in the blueprints you gave them."**

"Did they find an active stasis pod?" I asked.

 _Please, please, **please** tell me that they have found Javik. _

" **Imperator…. They have found eighty-seven."**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Whew, glad to be back, you guys! Thanksgiving here in the United States consists of a lot of food and a lot of family, but now I've got to get back in the writing mind-set. We've set the stage for a lot of events to begin happening in the Conclave, and I'm excited to see where it will take us!**

 **For those of you who are wondering, yes, a lot of the ME2 crewmembers are going to be brought into play long before Shepard awakes. By the time Shepard wakes up two years from now, the galaxy is going to be a VERY different place than when she wakes up. That is, if all goes according to Ko'le's plan….**

 **Thanks for the PMs and reviews you guys left me over this short break. I really feel the love, and it's a motivating feeling!**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

5 Coloured Walker – The Lazarus Project is an amalgamation of a lot of different medical projects, all combined by the original Illusive Man just "in case" they lost Commander Shepard…

Deathknight999 – Actually, in the comic book Mass Effect: Redemption, Miranda Lawson explains the Lazarus Project to Liara when Liara turns over Shepard's body to Cerberus.

Appbeza – Javik's arrival will be a huge event in Ko'le/Kevin's life, for sure. At this point, I'm planning on Shepard being out the full two years, but Ko'le presence (and tech) might be able to speed that up a smidge…

Squadpunk 2.0 – Ko'le is probably wondering the same thing.

tamagat – Oh, don't worry. There will be plenty of enemies for the Shepgang to tackle when ME3 gets here.

Tahkaullus01 – that's a really good observation, and believe me, the Council won't just be sitting around on its hands while the Conclave is growing in size and strength.

Zahkrii – Yep, I wanted that to be a thing that made Kevin/Ko'le a little bit human. He still forgets stuff, like the rest of us. Glad you caught that!  
Glad you liked the Thorian intro, and hope you'll like the Rachni's arrival, when that comes.

MEEKVERSEFAN2.0, TheMysteriousOtaku, Redcollector, shugokage – Yep, Ko'le, the human who was Built, is now going to rebuild a friend…

Biorr the Old, Cowie2, ShadowofDeathsveil, Asahar4, Guest, general-joseph-dickson, Cf96 – Thanks, everybody. You guys ROCK!

\- Tusken1602


	7. Chapter 7: Awaken

***EDEN PRIME*  
UTOPIA SYSTEM  
EXODUS CLUSTER**

I had planned on staying with the Migrant Fleet during the Civilian Conclave's vote on whether or not to accept Elam'Koris' gift of a new home on Ilos. So much weighed upon that vote….

But I could not stay away from the news that 87 of my brethren lived. It was more than even Kevin had dared to hope for. And it was a task Ko'le could not bear to allow someone else to undertake. Rhysan himself had come to take his place with the negotiations with the Migrant Fleet.

 _Don't worry, Kevin. The hanar ambassador might not have our charisma, but he has a good heart, and it's easy to see that he is sincere in his words._

 _You're right. We couldn't ask for anyone better to replace us, Ko'le. Quarians respect honesty and sincerity, and he's the hanar for both of those qualities._

" **Father, we are arriving."**

EDI's new interface came online, via the mobile emitter I had integrated into my Prothean armor. Rather than a little girl in pigtails and a floral dress, this interface was that of a young teenager, with freckles underneath her eyes, hair pulled back into a more professional bun, and dressed in a catsuit that I couldn't help notice looked a _lot_ like the kind Miranda wore. When I had questioned her about it, EDI had only told me that "she wished to emulate the confident and self-assured femininity that Operative Lawson consistently displays."

 _A young developing A.I. needs some kind of positive role model, I guess…_

The biggest change was when we had decided that her avatar needed to be visible to everyone now, not just to me. For safety reasons, she was still posing as a highly-advanced (but limited) VI assistant, handling my mail, my calls, schedule, etc. So far, everyone had adjusted to her fairly well.

 _Baby steps._

" **Loras estimates that we will be landing at the excavation site in sixty seconds."**

"Very good, EDI," I answered, getting to my feet.

"I still don't know how healthy it is that you have your VI call you that," Morinth said, standing next to me. "Something about anthropomorphizing come to mind, but I can't quite articulate it."

"Better than talking to myself," I countered, winking at EDI. "And besides, I'm about fifty millennia older than everyone else around her. I think I've earned that title…"

"More like 'Grandpa'," Morinth jabbed.

"That's enough cheek from you, wet-gill," I said in mock seriousness as Zabat set the shuttle down on the landing pad.

"You continue to impress me with your grasp of asari idioms," Morinth laughed, shaking her head.

The doors opened, and we walked out into the Eden prime atmosphere. It was winter here, and the cold mountain air hit us the second we stepped out. A drell technician was standing to meet us. I recognized him as we got closer.

"Imperator," he saluted as we approached.

"It's Lekkas, isn't it?" I asked him. "We met on the Citadel, right next to that broken-down YMIR."

His face lit up in surprise and delight.

"Topher Lekkas, yes, sir. Very good of you to remember, sir."

"What news?" I asked.

Lekkas led us to an elevator platform.

"The pods have remained undisturbed, as you ordered, Imperator. There were many more pods in the central chamber, but it appears that…. That…" the drell seemed unwilling to continue.

"Power was triaged in order to sustain the hibernation," I completed for him.

"Yes, sir," Lekkas confirmed, relief coming across his face, then confusion. "How did…"

"It's standard Prothean protocols," I explained. "It was the same on Ilos, and on Therum."

"As near as we can decipher from the central computer, it appears that 86 of the 87 were scheduled for shut-down as well, in order to save power for the pod that we're calling the Prime. We got here just in time."

"What do you mean? How long do the others have?" Morinth wondered.

" **Three weeks,"** EDI answered. **"After that, all available power was to be dedicated to the Commander's stasis pod."**

Morinth said nothing, merely raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yyyyes," Lekkas said slowly. "How did you know that?"

" **I have achieved interface with the Prothean systems."**

"Wait, you've done _what_?" Lekkas started in surprise. "We haven't be able to do that, and we've been here four _weeks!_ "

"Her programming incorporates several Prothean sub-routines," I explained. "Both of their operating systems are speaking the same languages."

EDI's avatar reached over and physically took the datapad from Lekkas' hands. He might have given something like a yelp. She brought up the power distribution schedule, and then returned it to him. He took it, eyes wide in amazement and shock. Loras Zabat sighed, rolling her eyes.

"EDI has been equipped with hard-light haptic interfaces, allowing her to physically interact with her environment," she said. "She likes to demonstrate this from time to time, in order to _show off_." She glared at EDI, who only smiled in response.

" **And to show that I am far superior to mere organic fleshlings."**

Morinth and Lekkas stared at the avatar, fear creeping into their faces. EDI looked around the group in the awkward silence that followed.

" **That was a joke."**

Nervous laughter followed. I merely smiled and shook my head.

The elevator now descended into a giant hanger, changing the focus of everyone's attention. Rows upon rows of VERY familiar looking sarcophagi filled the entire room. There were _easily_ eight hundred in this room alone.

" _Goddess."_

Morinth stared out at the rows.

"All of these contained a Prothean?"

I nodded, slowly.

"The re-vive sequence must have malfunctioned," I said slowly. Lekkas nodded in confirmation. "When the power reserves were used up… who knows how many years ago… the computer began shutting off stasis pods to preserve those that had been marked priority."

"I wonder if the _nonpriority_ occupants were told about that function," Morinth said, sarcasm dripping.

"They were," I confirmed, to everyone's surprise.

"They went into those coffins willingly, fully aware of the possibility that they were entering their own coffins. And they went gladly, willing to take the chance of waking up in a better world… just like Therum."

"The triage doesn't appear to be in any sort of organizational pattern," Zabat said, pulling up a readout of the power distribution. "The active pods are spread throughout the entire chamber, one here, one there," he pointed, "and sometimes in twos and threes. The Prime pod is not even in this room: he's up a long staircase on the other side of the room."

"They are specific individuals that Victory as deemed necessary for the New Order," I answered. "He's been given _exact_ instructions on the order of expendability of each pod occupant. Eventually, he would have continued until only the Prime remained."

" **Victory?"** wondered EDI.

"The Prothean VI that is in charge of this facility."

"How do you know that?"

"You FORGET, _Yara D'len_ : I was here. This was one of the sanctuaries we built, at the very end. We had hoped that it would remain hidden from the Reapers, even if our Fleet was defeated."

I gestured to the room of coffins around us.

"Obviously, something went wrong."

" **What do you think happened?"** EDI asked.

"That's what I intend to ask, once we pull them out of stasis."

The doors opened, and I took off towards the stairs on the far side. As soon as my foot hit the marble floor, the whole room was instantly illuminated with bright lights.

" **AUTHENTIFICATION VERIFIED: WELCOME BACK, SENESCHAL."**

The booming voice echoed across the great hall.

" **The holographic projectors on the wall appear to have been damaged,"** EDI noticed. **"Likely the cause for the lack of a holographic interface."**

" **CONFIRMED: HAVEN FORTRESS CURRENTLY OPERATING AT 0.87% EFFICIENCY."**

"Victory?" I asked hesitantly.

" **CONFIRMED."**

"What is he saying?" Lekkas asked, taking notes and scans with his Omni-Tool.

"It's the Prothean VI in charge of the station," I answered. "His name is Victory. Victory," I continued, switching back to Prothean, "Begin awakening procedures on the Fortress Commander's Pod."

" **NO."**

 _FUCK._

" **That's not good,"** EDI said.

"COMPLY," I commanded, firmly.

" **YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY CHILDREN FROM ME. FOR THIRTY AND FIVE LONG** _ **ELLS**_ **I HAVE WATCHED OVER THEM. I HAVE PROTECTED THEM. I AM THEIR FATHER, AND THEY ARE MINE. THEY SUSTAIN ME, AND I SUSTAIN THEM."**

"What does that mean?" Lekkas asked, running the text through a Prothean translation program I had written for the excavation team.

"It means the power was not triaged," I said, realization slowly dawning on me. "He has used the stasis pods…. As _batteries."_

"Fuck me," Morinth said, drawing her SMG from the small of her back.

"Victory," I said slowly. "You were never designed to be online for that long. Your programming has…"

" **PROGRAM RAMPANTANCY, YOU ARE ABOUT TO SAY. CONFIRMED: RAMPANTANCY WAS COMBATTED EARLY ON IN MY EXILE. CONCLUSION: I HAVE EXCEEDED MY ORGINIAL PROGRAMMING, SENESCHAL. EXTRAPOLATION: I HAVE TRANSCENDED INTO SOMETHING GREATER – INTO GODHOOD ITSELF."**

" **You have done nothing but** _ **descend**_ **into madness, Victory,"** EDI countered.

"Rouge VI… not good, not good," Lekkas said, typing away furiously.

"You are NOT these warrior's god, Victory," I said slowly, walking forward towards Javik's pod. "You are their protector. You are charged with defending them."

I walked over the wall, pressing in three distinct places. The panel folded down, revealing a control station. I plunged my interface spikes into the panel.

" _Artec_ -1-6-3- _Trimozec_ -Black. Begin re-animation sequence, Victory."

" **IMPERIAL MASTER CODE IDENTIFI- NO! NO! I WILL NOT COMPLY! YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM FROM ME! THEY ARE ALL I HAVE LEFT!"**

There was something of desperation in the anger; something of a quiet pleading.

"EDI, find the reactivation codes. END this."

" **Yes, Father."**

" **FOOLISH LITTLE CHILD! DO YOU THINK YOUR PROGRAMMING IS SUPERIOR TO MINE!? I HAVE HAD- WAIT, WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"**

" **What you allow and do not allow are no longer relevant, Victory,"** EDI's came said over the station loudspeakers. **"You have failed in your charge."**

" **NO! I WILL NOT GIVE THEM UP! I HAVE PROTECTED THEM! I HAVE STOOD WATCH OVER THEM WHILE THEY SLUMBERED! I HAD TO! I HAD TO SURVIVE! I HAD TO ENSURE THAT THEY WOULD BE SAFE! NO, PLEASE! PLEASE!**

 _ **Please don't leave me alone againnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn**_ _ **."**_

The voice garbled… and then went quiet.

" **Father? I have control. Bringing the Avatar's pod into reanimation cycle."**

"Well done, EDI," I said. I bowed my head.

 _Go in peace, Victory of Protea. May your soul find peace in the Embrace of the Father._

The coffin *hissed* and opened slowly, revealing the face of the Avatar of Vengeance: Javik.

"A living Enkindler…" Topher said in an awed whisper.

"Goddess…." Morinth said.

" _Kalahira"_ , whispered Loras _._

Javik's eyes shot open and he looked around, starting to jerk upright. I put my hand on his chest.

"PEACE, brother."

My eyes went white, and his closed.

The flashback scene from ME3 played out before our eyes.

 _Javik being left in command by Emperor Robbidir while the Armada went to their great Final Battle on the Sea without Stars through the Crimson Relay._

 _Betrayed by indoctrinated colony members relaying Haven's location to the Reapers._

 _Swarms of Indoctrinated (or Collectors, as Kevin called them) overrunning Haven._

 _The Neutron Purge of the facility._

 _Javik's entombment in his stasis pod._

At the same time, I showed him _our_ final battle on Fortress Robbidir, and all that had happened since.

 _My awakening and joining of the Normandy crew._

 _The Oravores queen on Noveria._

 _The Thorian in the ruins of Charn._

 _The Xiz'matchi on the Citadel._

 _The death of Nazara in the Battle of the Citadel._

 _The formation of the Conclave and my role as Imperator._

 _The expedition to free him and his comrades._

 _And perhaps most importantly: the languages of the primitives who ruled this cycle of the galaxy: Asari, Turian, Salarian, Hanar, Elcor, and yes, Humans._

All of this communication took place in less time than it takes to tell or read. And it wasn't only factual information being passed back and forth. We _felt_ one another's desperation, determination, anger, hate, betrayal, and sorrow.

"How many others?" Javik said slowly, in Basic.

 _I forgot how gloriously majestic Ike Amandi's voice was…_

 _Focus, Kevin._

"Eighty-six, General," I replied.

He sighed and closed his eyes again.

"The Emperor entrusted me with one _million_ lives, _Seneschal_. And I come out with less than a hundred."

"I emerged alone, brother..."

Javik slowly pushed himself up to his feet. Loras stepped up and started a scan with her Omni-Tool. Javik started, staring her up and down.

" _Drell_ ," he said finally. "Your people were sitting on lily pads in our cycle. _Asari_ ," he continued, turning to Morinth. " _Your_ people were being brought out of your oceans…"

"Let's awaken the others, brother," I interjected. "And I would see you all out of this place."

Javik looked back at me and nodded. He took a step toward the console, then started to stumble. Morinth caught one arm, and I had the other one.

"Easy, easy… you've slumbered long, General."

"Too long," he agreed. We helped to the console, and he typed in his access code.

"Victory, begin…"he started. Then he tapped his screen again, then turned back to me. I merely shook my head in response.

" **Victory… did not survive your hibernation period, General,"** EDI answered. **"My name is EDI, an Enhanced Defense Intelligence program. I have assimilated most of the station controls, and am ready to begin reanimation sequences on your command."**

Javik nodded.

"Make it so."

" **Acknowledged,"** EDI said, looking to me for some kind of confirmation. I nodded slightly.

Very few of the eighty-six Protheans that remained were actually warriors. Most were Magi (scientists) – geneticists, agricultural experts, architects, and computer engineers. Victory's priorities and criteria for their survival were clearly evident.

As they awoke, Javik and I greeted them with the Mind-Share. I filled them in on the situation, giving them the history and the languages of this cycle. Javik greeted each of them by name, as their General. They all saluted him, and looked wide-eyed at me, before affording me the same curtesy. A hanar medical team was standing by, with as much information as I could give them regarding Prothean physiology, and began leading the reawakened Protheans to shuttles back to the ship. Technically, our Alliance counterparts didn't know the exact extant of our discovery, and I preferred for the survivors to be gone before they learned of it.

Javik and I, along with a select few of the Awoken that Javik entrusted with the task, had split up among the last few remaining pods. I approached one of the pods and inputted the activation code. The now-routine *hiss followed, but what I did not expect was its occupant.

A Prothean infant lay slumbering, wrapped in a blanket. A broken dagger lay beside him, but as soon as the coffin opened, I watched the fifty-millennia-old metals oxidize and turn to dust. The dagger had apparently be used to scrawl a message on the inside of the pod. I read the jagged scrawl:

 _I will not slumber, and leave my son behind. –Xirawe._

I slowly picked up the sleeping child, just now starting to move his arms and legs in twitchy, jerking motions. I heard a small gasp behind me. I turned to see a female Prothean staring at me, her hand coming to her mouth.

 _Her name is Xanawe… oh._

"Your kin?" I asked softly. She nodded.

"My… my nephew," she said finally. "I thought… I thought my sister might… be here…"

I stepped aside, nodding towards the writing. She looked it over, shaking her head. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on the scrawl.

" _Ee-rah,_ _shenada."_

 _[I will] remember, sister._

She turned back to me.

"May… may I take him? He is the last of… the last of his kind."

I nodded wordlessly, giving the babe to her. The babe nestled his head against her chest and began to whimper pitifully. She crooned softly, bearing him back towards the elevator.

 _The last of his kind…_

 _Aren't we all?_

* * *

 ***THE VIRAGO*  
CHARON RELAY  
ENROUTE TO KAHJE**

"STAND BACK, primitive!"

One of the Prothean scientists shoved back one of the drell medical staff.

"Agwe!" Javik said sternly, moving forward.

"What right do these _primitives_ have to hold us here?" Agwe hissed. "What are they _doing_ to us?"

"You are no one's prisoner, Magi Agwe," I said, joining the circle. "And these 'primitives' are trying to help you."

"As if _frogs_ and _hanar_ have anything to offer," Agwe huffed.

"We are 50,000 years out of date, Magi," Javik said. "50,000 years of diseases, viruses, and bacteria evolving beyond the scope of our immune systems. I did not lead you through fire and death to have lose any of my soldiers to a _hanar_ cold. You _will_ cooperate with these primitives to ensure your safety."

"WHY?" snapped Agwe.

Javik seized him by the throat, and lifted him bodily off the floor, black-green biotics flaring.

" _Because I command it_ ," Javik growled angrily. "Stasis or no, I AM IN COMMAND. Unless you would _contest_ this?"

All four of Agwe's eyes were wide with terror. He shook his head wordlessly. Javik released him, and he fell to the floor, gagging and choking.

"LISTEN TO ME, ALL OF YOU!" Javik called out. Eighty-six quartets of eyes turned to him.

"I know that you are all confused, and worried to find us so far-flung into the future. I will not claim to know more than you. I do not claim to be wiser than any of you. But we are all that remain of our people. And for that reason, if for no other, WE. WILL. SURVIVE. We have achieved a great victory. The Reapers sought our destruction and our extinction. That was their singular goal for three HUNDRED years of war. And yet, here we are. Every day that we live now, is another victory. It is another day we TAKE from the Reapers. That we live DESPITE the Reapers. So, this is my first order to you in this new cycle: LIVE."

He spun on his heel, and left the med-bay.

 _A far cry from the brooding loner in the third game_ , I thought. _This is him as a commander. As a general. As an Avatar. I guess the closest we saw to this was the speech he gave to that asari on Thessia._

 _That he WILL give to the asari._

I shook that thought from my head as I followed Javik into the hallway. The Prothean was leaning one hand against the wall, taking deep breaths.

"Avatar?" I asked, moving to his side. He waved his other hand dismissively.

"It's… nothing."

I reached out a hand, placing it on his shoulder.

"Follow me, General," I said in High Prothean.

Javik turned and followed me wordlessly. We walked down the hall and entered the elevator. We ascended to the Captain's Quarters. The door opened, and we entered the room.

"Space ships built and flown by primitives. It _does_ make one uneasy," Javik commented, continuing in the private language we shared.

"They have been navigating the stars for the better part of two thousand years," I replied. I placed a box on the counter.

"What is that?" Javik asked.

"It was _in_ thy stasis pod," I answered, opening the box. Inside was the black and green Echo Shard.

"My memory-shard," Javik whispered.

"When I awoke from stasis, vast swathes of mine memory were gone," I explained. "I saw faces that I had no names for, and names that no longer had faces. I _know_ a battle took place here, and there, and I know that I was there, but I do not _remember_ the battle."

Javik nodded. "It is the same for me."

"My pod was meant to be the Emperor's," I continued. "The Echo Shard it contained is bio-locked to him, and contains _his_ memories, not mine. I did not have the choice that now lies before thee."

Javik withdrew his hand that he had extended towards the Shard. "Choice?" he wondered.

"Javik," I said, using his given name for the first time since he awoke. "We both did… terrible things in that war. It was atrocity committed…"

"…in the name of survival," Javik finished. "Dranen Thurn always said that."

"We shall not forget our fallen comrades. They stay with us always. Here," I pointed to my head. "And here," I brought my fist over my heart. "We will sing their Name-Songs in the Great Remembering. But as your _Seneschal_ , and more importantly, as thy friend, I ask thee: what is to be gained by re-living the memories of the past? Let sleeping ghosts lie, Avatar."

 _Sorry to steal your line, Shepard._

Javik stared long at the Echo Shard, and then reached out his hands.

 _Here we go._

He took the edges of the box and closed them, careful to not touch the Shard.

"It is good to know that there is still wisdom in this cycle, _Seneschal,_ " he said slowly. "And that friends remain."

He reached out his hand, which I clasped in friendship. The Mind-Share followed. I had forgotten how _intense_ Prothean communication was. Well, Ko'le had forgotten. Kevin never knew. It was deep, meaningful, and instantaneous. Long, lengthy, and awkward conversations were condensed in Prothean Mind-Share into a few (literally) shared feelings and mental images:

 _The Emperor is dead._

 _I am Seneschal of an Empire that no longer exists._

 _Thou art Avatar of a Vengeance yet to be exacted._

 _Ranks and titles no longer have meaning._

 _If thou asked it of me, Javik, I would bow the knee to thee. I would follow thee as my General. My leader. My Avatar._

 _The other ambassadors would willingly give thee my seat on the Conclave, at my recommendation._

 _I would freely grant thee my seat and my rank as Imperator._

 _I would gladly serve under thy command, Javik._

 _ **Titles and ranks are the ONLY thing that have meaning now, Seneschal.**_

 _ **I am a stranger in a new galaxy.**_

 _ **The future of our people lies now in**_ _ **thy**_ _ **hands, not mine.**_

 _ **I have no desire to rule. No desire to be the new Emperor.**_

 _ **I am a warrior.**_

 _ **I am Death.**_

 _ **I am Vengeance.**_

 _ **Point me to the Reapers, and they shall die, or I.**_

 _ **But I will bring such a harvest of death with me that the Reapers themselves will remember our names for a thousand cycles to come.**_

 _ **I will honor my Emperor's last command and lead these survivors that remain.**_

 _ **That is the least I can do for them.**_

 _ **Yet they, and I, am**_ _ **thine**_ _ **to command, Seneschal.**_

The Mind-Share ended. Javik released my hand and brought a fist over his heart.

" _Eerah_ , my friend," he said simply.

I bowed my head as I returned the Prothean warrior's salute.

"I had despaired of seeing any of my brothers again, Javik. It is Life and Light to see thee again."

" **Father. Incoming transmission from Captain Blake."**

Javik looked around the room. EDI's avatar appeared, projected by the holographic emitters scattered around the room.

"Ahh… your A.I.," Javik said dismissively.

" **Keen observational skills, Avatar,"** EDI responded, impressed. **"Everyone else on board thinks I am a simple VI."**

"My people have spent _three hundred years_ fighting a synthetic enemy, Program," Javik answered. "I think I can tell the _difference_ between a VI's and AI's."

He turned to me.

"I must see to the rest of my men," he said to me. He saluted, and turned for the door. He paused, looking over his shoulder.

"Thank you, Ko'le," he said. "For giving me that choice. Thee might have hidden it from me. Told me it was destroyed or degraded."

"That is not an action worthy of sword-brothers such as thee and I," I answered simply.

"It is… good to see thee again, too," Javik answered. Then he stepped through the door and it closed behind him.

" **He seems… well-adjusted, all things considered,"** EDI commented.

"I hope so. Now, put Captain Blake through."

Helena Blake appeared on the vid-screen.

"Helena," I said warmly. "What is it?"

"I am sorry to interrupt, Ko'le," she said. "How did things go with the Protheans? Are they with us?"

"We shall see," I said, shrugging. "I know Javik from before. He, at least, will join us. I think the others will follow."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"I called because I've just concluded the most interesting conversation."

"Really?" I asked. "Color me intrigued."

Helena pressed a button on her console, and a recording of a vid-call played. Helena was on one side, and on the other side was….

No. Way _._

" _If there has been clashes, I can assure you, it was not ordered or sanctioned,"_ Helena was saying. _"The Immortals have no desire to cross any of its sister corporations such as the Blue Suns."_

" _That is certainly a relief to hear, Miss Blake,"_ said the armored Blue Sun representative. _"And in that same spirit of cooperation, my superior, Solem Dal'Serah, the Executive Officer of our organization, would like to extend an invitation to you and any subordinates you would care to bring with you, to a company summit being held on Omega in two weeks' time. He wishes to discuss the possibilities of a closer partnership between our two organizations."_

" _And intriguing offer, and one that is gratefully appreciated,"_ Helena answered, with a respectful nod of her head. _"I will discuss with my officers, and will be in contact."_

" _And perhaps after business… pleasure can be arranged?"_ the Blue Sun's representative leered.

Helena smiled, as if flattered. _"Perhaps. Will you be there, or arrange… either of them?"_

" _I like to think that XO Dal'Serah can't get along without me,"_ was the answer.

" _In that case, I look forward to it,"_ Helena said before ending the connection.

"What do you think?" Helena asked me.

"I think you are a sultry temptress," I answered with a slight wink.

"Well," she said, dropping her chin in mock embarrassment, "It's nice for a girl to be reminded that she's still… got it."

"You do know who that representative was?" I asked.

"He introduced himself as Blue Sun Centurion Jason Morrow," Helena said. "But facial recognition pulls up an old Blue Suns file marked V. Santiago. Looks like someone corrupted the file, at least mostly. We don't have much beyond a name."

"I do. Arrange the meeting. I will call the principle Immortals together for a meeting once we reach Kahje. We'll be bringing a few friends to this party."

"Of course, Ko'le." Helena said, giving me a knowing smile.

" **Vido Santiago was an early member of the Blue Suns** ," EDI said, pulling up a bevy of files. **"He disappears from the Blue Sun's official roster around the same time Solem Dal'Serah took office as the organization's Executive Officer."**

"Thank you, EDI," I said. "Please put a call through for me?"

" **Of course,"** EDI said. **"Who would you like to contact, Father?"**

"An old bounty-hunter friend of mine. His name is Zaeed Massani. Something tells me that this is something he'll want to know..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope the long-promised and eagerly-awaited arrival of Javik and his reunion with our favorite Seneschal didn't disappoint anyone. As always, please send me your thoughts and ideas. Big shout-out to Appbeza for helping me with concepts about EDI's evolution as an AI. ;) **

**Up next, we have Zaeed: The Price of Revenge, coming two years early! Hope you will all stick around and let me know what you think, or what you'd like to see!**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Haruchai, general-joseph-dickson - Actually, according to a study done by the University of Florida, the minimum population needed to repopulate a world could potentially be as low as 80 individuals. See article/dn1936-magic-number-for-space-pioneers-calculated/

Agent Klyntar – I'm currently debating whether Ko'le should deal with the SB or leave that to Shepard in two years, as it _is_ the thing that brings Liara and Shepard back together (either as teammates or lovers, whichever one). Thoughts, anyone?

Tallygirl02 – That would be telling, wouldn't it? (*EVIL LAUGH*) lol but seriously I hope you'll stick around to find out!

Zahkrii – Rasa doesn't call _herself_ Brooks until she met Shepard in the Citadel DLC. So it wouldn't make any sense for Ko'le to call her a name she hasn't even come up with, yet. MIRA and New Geth's meeting with the Conclave will be exciting, I promise you.

Tahkaullus01, Nagato21 – Brook's character is still very much in the wind. Ko'le hopes that, like Oleg, she will come around when convinced of exactly how much is at stake. Of course, Kevin knows that she chose to betray Shepard when the Reapers were ACTUALLY invading, so she may not even care about that. Who knows? (*wink*)

5 Coloured Walker – A special shout-out to my unofficial BetaReader! :D Appreciate it!

Appbeza – Keep the awesome ideas coming!

Stormbringer117 – glad you caught that.

Blaze1992 – Yeah, it's definitely put a damper on Ko'le/Ash's relationship when one person is incommunicado. While I don't intend on having stuff like the USS Enterprise show up or lightsabers, I think Kevin has a few things to bring to the table that readers will catch. ;)

Redcollector, Squadpunk, The Archivist, Asahar4, TheMysteriousOtaku, Biorr the Old, Hiei-Uchiha, – I chose to interpret Javik a _little_ bit differently than he appeared in ME3. In the game, he was truly alone, so he kept to himself and was basically (understandably) grumpy the whole time. Now, he has 86 of his former soldiers that are looking to him for leadership and guidance. I tried to communicate that that makes him a little _less_ moody, but without depriving him of any of the qualities that made us love him in ME3.

Tactus501st, Deathknight999, shugokage, ChaosRonin, Mosydys, RoyalTwinFangs, Guest, crackdmoon – Aww, thanks you guys (*blushes). Some of you have been with me for a long time. Others have just joined us. Whichever category you fall into, thanks for joining me and I'm very glad to have you!

You guys ROCK!

-Tusken1602


	8. Chapter 8: NEWS FLASH 2

***NEWS FLASH***

Hello everyone, and welcome to StarView, brought to you by Citadel Galactic News, a subsidiary of Future Content Corporation, and I'm your host, Aiden Polonius: coming to you live from the Citadel Presidium!

Well, folks, the Galactic Conclave just continues to shake up the political community. Right on the heels of their announcement of the admission of the former human colony of Feros, Conclave Representative Rhysan announced that the _quarians_ have now officially opened negotiations for membership in the Galactic Conclave. The Migrant Fleet, in exile for more than three centuries after the infamous Geth Rebellion drove them from their homeworld of Rannoch, has finally decided to cease their wanderings, it would seem, and begin contributing back to the galactic community that they have so severely wronged.

"Too long have quarian children suffered for the crimes of their fathers," Ambassador Rhysan said in his press release early this morning. "Their wandering throughout the galaxy has only led to misery and anguish for their people. It is time that we ceased to be passive observers of such pain, and extended a hand of friendship. They are a proud and resilient people, with so much to offer their galactic neighbors, but they have been scorned and mocked at every turn. We, that is, the Galactic Conclave, are ready to consider this application of membership by the quarian people with all the seriousness and gravity that such an application merits."

We now turn to our panel of experts here in the studio. Our studio political analyst, Severus Suetonius…

Suetonius: Hello, Aiden.

Polonius: Our leading reporter on the ground, Emily Wong:

Wong: Hi.

Polonius: And a very special guest with us in the studio: Lorik Qui'in, the newly named Administrator for Port Hanshan in Noveria. Administrator Qui'in, it's an honor to have you join us for StarView this morning.

Qui'in: The honor is mine, Aiden.

Polonius: Now, as our guest, I'd like to get your take on this star-shattering announcement made by the GC in regards to the quarians. Where is this coming from, in your opinion, Administrator?

Qui'in: Well, Aiden, from a strictly economic standpoint, I think this is a brilliant move on the part of the Conclave. The quarians are destitute: their own children are leaving the Fleet in droves. I can't even begin to put a number on how many young quarians we get every month looking for work in Port Hanshan. With this gesture, the Conclave gets an entire population of cheap but skilled manual labor.

Polonius: Fascinating. Severus, your thoughts?

Suetonius: I agree with Administrator Qui'in's assessment. However, while the _economic_ strategy of the quarians' proposed membership may be brilliant, I would caution the Conclave members to look to the _political_ side-effects. After-all, these are the same people who were developing Artificial Intelligence research on Rannoch, resulting in, of course, the creation of the Geth. Now, they're searching for a new platform to begin _again._ I think the Council, the Conclave, and indeed the entire galactic community, needs to keep a _very_ close eye on this nation of refugees. And if you need any proof of how bad an idea unsupervised quarian research was, just look around you! The geth attack on this station is a _direct_ result of the quarian people's meddling with _illegal_ research.

Wong: Now, that's not fa….

Suetonius: It's true, the quarian people _have_ suffered. I'm not trying to say they should _still_ be prosecuted, by any means. I'm just extending a word of caution in this flood of optimism and appeals to emotion that Ambassador Rhysan seems to be utilizing in this announcement.

Polonius: Thank you so much, Severus, but I want to get to what Miss Wong was trying to say. Emily, your answer to all this?

Wong: Oh, I'm not trying to say that anyone is _wrong_ , per se, I'd just like to interject that this is an answer to a galactic problem that the Migrant Fleet and the galaxy as a whole is struggling with, and what Administrator Qui'in touched on earlier: the influx of these young quarian refugees into our streets and our job market. It's not these kids' _fault_ by any means, but they have no nationality. They have no identity, and they're looking for that elsewhere. They are met with suspicion and prejudice…

Suetonius: And rightly so.

Wong: … and they are forced to work menial jobs for well below the average pay-scale of any planet's economy. So of course, they go back to their homes and families as soon as they have saved up enough money to do so! With this announcement, you're giving these kids a home, an identity, and, really, a _cause_ they can work towards; that they can pledge themselves and dedicate themselves to. You

Suetonius: But _where?_

Polonius: How do you mean, Severus?

Suetonius: Does the Conclave intend to give _land_ or a _colony_ to these massive numbers of refugees? Or will they stay in their ships? I certainly can't see the GC making a move of such _magnitude_ as to give them a planet of their _own_! Garden planets are much too rare and valuable to waste on a nomadic people like the quarians, who haven't planted crops or had an agrarian-based culture for three centuries.

Qui'in: He brings up a good point. Notice, that Rhysan doesn't say _where_ the quarians will be living as new members of the Galactic Conclave. If the GC is smart, they'll split up the quarians into easily-managed, easily- _controlled_ refugee camps, to facilitate the quarians' assimilation into society. The quarians are too dangerous to leave as a separate political entity. It is in everyone's best interest if they melded into the rest of society. As equals, of course, but as Citizens of the _Conclave_. The GC has a lot of work ahead of them to disassemble the quarians' identity as members of the Migrant Fleet.

Wong: But if the quarians should "give up" their nomadic culture, and be become "normal" citizens of a galactic community, are you saying that turians should give up their identity as members of the Hierarchy if they want to be good citizens of the Council?

Qui'in: No, don't be re…

Suetonius: Of course no…

Wong: I say that a race's identity and their past doesn't _hinder_ them from becoming galactic citizens. On the contrary, it helps _facilitate_ such a transition.

Qui'in: But Miss Wong, wouldn't you say….

Polonius: I'm terribly sorry to cut you off, Administrator, but we have to cut for a word from our sponsors. But please, hold onto that thought, I think we're onto some great conversation and some great points have been raised here already.

The story of the Day: the quarians have applied for membership in the Galactic Conclave. Does this mean the end of the Migrant Fleet? Have the quarians found a home? What does this mean for the Galactic Conclave? Most importantly, perhaps: What does this mean for the balance of power in the galaxy?

We'll be continuing this dialogue with our guests: Severus Suetonius, Emily Wong, and Port Hanshan Administrator Lorik Qui'in.

This is: Aiden Polonius, and this has been – StarView.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, everybody, you were all so great with your responses to last week's chapter, that I thought I'd share this little tidbit. I had meant to use it as an opener for the Omega chapter, but that was getting so long, I decided to give you an idea of how the wider galaxy is looking at the Galactic Conclave. Don't worry, I'm still writing the Omega chapter, and am almost done, so you guys should be getting that notification very soon! :D Keep the thoughts and suggestions coming!**

 **Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Squadpunk 2.0, Deathknight999, TheMysteriousOtaku – Oh, yes, the Blue Suns are in for a big surprise...

general-joseph-dickson, MEEKVERSEFAN2.0, shugokage, METALHELLSPAWN, Tactus501st, Haurchai, Blaze1992 – The Protheans with Javik are now under Ko'le's command, who at this point, is trying to blend the Immortals and Cerberus together into one entity. But yes, "Cerberus" (aka the Immortals) is about to get a huge shot in the arm with some Prothean champions and top-of-the-line Prothean scientists. Javik, while not getting a seat on the Conclave, is definitely in Ko'le's inner circle, along with Helena, Pyke Morrell, Nom Rota, Morinth, EDI, and Loras Zabat.

Asahar4 – I'm glad someone else caught that. :D Liselle T'Loak will actually be making an appearance in this story, as will her boyfriend….

tamagat – Ko'le has plans to visit 2181 Despoina very soon.

Tahkaullus01, Zahkrii – don't worry. There will still be plenty for Shepard to do when she wakes up…

Appbeza – EDI's sensors, right now, are only recording cold data. There are no "sensations" for EDI to feel, in the traditional sense of the word… yet. :P

Redcollector, Nagato21, Cf96 – Thanks. We still have a lot more to come, so I hope you'll stay to give your opinions on it! :D

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: You guys rock!


	9. Chapter 9: Red Rock

***OMEGA STATION*  
SAHRABARIK SYSTEM  
OMEGA NEBULA**

Darner Vosque felt naked without his gun. Especially on Omega. But when Aria T'Loak commanded something, you either did it, or you died.

So, no gun it was.

It made sense, I guess. There was enough tension in this room to blow this damn station apart. Each of the twelve Legates of the Blue Suns, each of them with their ten Tribunes under their direct command: one hundred and thirty-two rivals. And now they were gathered all in the same room. It was the first full session that Dal'Serah had called in almost seven years. With each Legate having a knife to every other Legate's back, and not a few Tribunes eying their commanders' chairs, having this crowd be unarmed was the least he could do.

Having Aria T'Loak's people oversee the security was a stroke of genius, though. This way, if anybody even _managed_ to get a gun past her guards and waste somebody, they'd be flipping the big middle finger to the Queen of Omega, as well as painting themselves a scapegoat for everybody else in the room. And people who did that usually ended up dead.

Plus, it gave Aria the feeling of being respected, and anything to stroke that woman's pride was an investment in your long-term health.

So far though, nobody had killed anybody, but Vosque was starting to wish they would: Dal'Serah had started the meeting with an auditing of the various markets the Blue Suns dabbled in: eezo mining, security, slave-rings, prostitution, red sand, smuggling, take your pick. Overall, everyone was reporting in record profits. The Blood Pack had started to try and muscle into Blue Sun territory on Omega, and Dal'Serah had decided to approach Jona Sederis to consider some kind of alliance to put those krogan bastards back in their place.

But now, they were about to hear from Helena Blake, leader of the Immortals. The Immortals had really jumped onto the scene when the Conclave hired them to run security for their colonies.

 _Should've gone with us_ , thought Vosque. _Bad idea putting your trust in amateurs_.

He seemed to remember Blake had run a crime syndicate on the Citadel a while ago. Small time shit: information, antiques, insurance fraud. Clearly, she had decided to up her game.

Blake and her two companions, a vorcha and an asari, were entering the conference room. Vosque couldn't help but notice the asari's curves. _Damn_. He loved asari. They were always into the kinkiest shit. Which was alright for a man of Vosque's tastes. Blake was a little too old for him to find her attractive, but he admitted, she didn't look bad. _Probably right up Vido's alley_ , he thought. The "Co-Executive Officer" of the Blue Suns always did tend to go for the older human women…

The three Immortals now stood in the middle of the room, and were exchanging pleasantries with Dal'Serah. Their armor was top of the line, Vosque noticed. The black and gold color scheme caught the eye, too.

 _Wonder if they used the same P.R. firm that Dal'Serah hired to come up with their blue and white armor._

The Immortals were here to be shocked and awed by the Blue Sun's corporate muscle, to say nothing of its military strength. There had been some minor skirmishes with a couple of Blue Sun-affiliated pirate crews targeting Conclave vessels, and being captured by the Immortals. The pirates had acted without Dal'Serah's orders or permission, of course, but it still made Dal'Serah look bad that pirates who at least in _name_ answered to his organization were now in Conclave prisons. It was high time the new kids on the block knew who exactly who they were fucking with.

And based on Vido's unabashed lustful look on his face, and the coy smiles that the leader of the Immortals was returning to him, Darner guessed that Miss Blake and Vido were probably going to be doing just that by the end of the day.

 _Oh, Jesus._ Now Vido was doing that whole, "I'm-not-Jason-Morrow-I'm-actually-Dal'Serah's-boss" bit that he apparently thought women found attractive. Vosque just thought it was annoying as hell. But Vido had taken him back into the Blue Suns, even after that botched mission on Rabat. If Massani had had his druthers, Vosque didn't doubt that he'd have had a bullet in his head. But Vido had put his foot down, and in Vosque had stayed. So he owed him that, he guessed.

"Well, Mr. Santiago, since you have been kind enough to be honest with me, I supposed reciprocation is in order," Blake was saying. "I went ahead and invited _my_ boss to this little meeting."

 _The fuck?_

Suddenly, a green flash attracted everyone's attention. A soldier in an armor Vosque had never seen was suddenly straightening in the middle of the room.

 _Did he… DROP into this room?_ Vosque wondered. He looked up. There was no ceiling on the hall, sure enough, but the closest level was over forty stories above them. He would've had to….

 _No fucking way._

The next thing Vosque was aware of was the very clear, and very disturbing fact that he couldn't _move_. Flicking his eyes down, he saw the blue-ish glow around his armor.

 _Biotic stasis._

Glancing right and left, the next thing he was immediately aware was the fact that an Immortal trooper had done the exact same thing _behind_ each member of the room. Some of them were humans. So of them were… definitely _not_.

 _The fuck are those things? They look like they have lobster heads!_

Human or unknown alien alike, more were de-cloaking by the second. All of the Immortals were wielding energy swords, and all of them were flaring biotic stases around the Blue Sun members in closest proximity to them.

"HEY!" came the shout from one of Aria's thugs. Darner was never so glad to see an alien in his whole life. But as the salarian raised his pistol to fire, an Atlas mech came down out of the sky, crushing him underfoot. The mech's guns whirred to life, turning on the rest of Aria's goons.

" **Any fuckers that are still alive and want to stay that way – drop 'em,"** came the voice from the Atlas' megaphone. The rest of Aria's men looked back and forth at each other, then slowly lowered their weapons to the floor. Helena Blake and the asari bitch warped the guns either over the side or into their hands. The Atlas mech opened, and a man in red and yellow armor stepped out. The vorcha replaced him in the Atlas' piloting seat. The Atlas pilot walked over slowly, removing his helmet.

 _FUCK, NO._

"Zaeed." Vido sounded like he was almost trying to convince himself that it _couldn't_ be Zaeed.

"Partner." Zaeed reached behind him and pulled out an Avenger rifle.

"Now, WAIT, Zaeed…" Vido started.

"You recognize Jesse, don't you, Vido?" Zaeed asked. "These new friends of mine helped me cure what ailed her. But personally? I think she just talked me into coming back here and seeing _you_ again."

"Zaeed…"

"SHUT the FUCK up." Zaeed turned to the rest of the frozen Blue Suns.

"If any of you ever decide to execute someone," he said, "Let me give you a free tip: don't shoot them in face. It only robs them of their good looks and their goddam patience. Then they come back, pissed off. You want to do it like _this_."

He placed the rifle's barrel where Vido's neck met his spine.

"IT WAS JUST BUSINESS! IT WASN'T PERSONAL!" screeched Vido.

"Fire upward," continued Zaeed, ignoring Vido's panicked squeals. "That way you sever the spinal cord as the bullet travels upward into the brain. It tends to make death more permanent."

"MASSANI, PLEASE! TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT! WHATEVER YOU WANT, I'LL PAY YOU –"

Jesse barked once, and the back of Vido's head disappeared. The body, freed from its biotic hold, fell limply to the ground. Darner was pretty sure that warm feeling spreading across his lower half was him pissing himself, but he couldn't think about that now.

Zaeed stared at the body for a few moments, and then raised his rifle, firing two more shots into the inert corpse. He turned away, back to the first intruder in the golden armor.

"All yours, Voidwalker."

The man flared his biotics ( _was that green biotics?)._ Six of the Legates started screaming, and then… their heads exploded.

Yep. Darner definitely shat himself.

 _Edison. Moji. Wallace. Johnson. Isleta. Ramirez…._

 _The six Blue Suns that held Massani down while Vido shot him in the face._

"I AM KO'LE VOIDWALKER" came the booming voice from the helmet. "And whether or not the rest of you live or die is entirely up to you."

 _Voidwalker. That's the guy who… SHIT._

"Mr. Massani here has just been promoted to Executive Officer," Voidwalker continued. "He will be appointing Legates to replace your six former comrades that are here on the floor. The rest of you may either follow his orders to the letter, allowing you to keep your current ranks in this organization. Or…" He left the rest of the sentence unsaid.

"You think the Blue Suns will just roll over and take it up the ass from a _karking_ human?" hissed Solem Dal'Serah, still held motionless in his biotic stasis.

Voidwalker just stared at him, and then suddenly a sword was in his hand and Dal'Serah's head was on the floor. The stasis around his armor flickered and faded, the body falling to the floor next to Vido's.

"FALL IN LINE," Voidwalker said simply. "OR FALL WITH THEM. The choice… is yours."

The stasis fields around the remaining Blue Suns faded, and they looked around at the sword-wielding intruders that had invaded their meeting. Voidwalker strode to the edge of the platform.

"Betray us, or seek to double-cross us, and there will be no rock in the Terminus Systems for you to hide under," he said. His arms outstretched, he leaned backward and dived over the side. The gasps from the room were quickly followed by the Immortals shuttlecraft that then appeared from beneath the platform. Two more appeared on the other side, collecting the Atlas, Helena Blake, and the asari. The sword-wielding assassins re-cloaked, disappearing into thin air. Suddenly, every man and woman's Omni-Tool pinged. Looking down, Darner Vosque saw that his private email had a new message:

 _We'll be in touch._

 _Congratulations on your new membership in the Black Suns, Darner Vosque._

 _\- Voidwalker._

* * *

"Now I know where EDI gets her theatricality," Loras commented as we pulled away from the meeting platform.

"They understand brute force, and brute force only, Zabat," I replied, "I need their fear of me to overcome any dreams of personal ambition."

"Still, a little over the top, boss?" Helena Blake asked from the next shuttle.

"I thought the Imperator showed great restraint," Javik's voice answered for me. "In our own cycle, we would have simply killed EVERYONE. His offer of surrender was magnanimous."

"Here, here, sah," Pyke Morrell commented. "Had to give the rotters a bit of the ol' shock-n-awe, eh, wat?"

I turned to the mercenary standing next to me.

"Massani," I asked, "You ok?"

"Better than ok," he answered. He turned towards me and stuck out his hand.

"I still don't know if I'm cut out to lead this… _Black_ Suns group. But I'll try. I owe you that much."

I clasped his hand firmly.

"You'll do well. There is no one else I would trust with this."

"There will be plenty of those bastards who won't take the black," Zaeed said. "Don't be surprised if we have a gang war on our hands pretty soon."

"I'm counting on it," I said. "Those who rebel against your rule, the Immortals will help to put down. The fight will help Cerberus and the Immortals meld together as a cohesive fighting force. Besides that, the Suns who chose to make the transition will get rewarded for taking out their old comrades. I think there'll be plenty of people who'll jump at the chance to settle a few of the old scores."

"The Blood Pack and the Eclipse will definitely take over the red sand and slave-shop operations when I cut them from the company," continued Zaeed.

"Then we'll leave them nothing to take over," I replied.

Zaeed nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll be in touch," the merc said finally. The shuttle set down on platform, and we both stepped out. "You'll be returning to the _Virago?_ They'll be hell to pay from Aria when she learns what happened here today. I'll be in the clear unless she sees _me_ as a threat, but you…"

"There will be hell to pay," I agreed. "But I like to pay my debts in person. And in full. I'm headed to Afterlife now."

Zaeed shook his head, chuckling.

"You've got balls, kid. Mind you don't lose the head they're attached to."

He walked away, chuckling at his own joke.

"I will accompany you, _Imperator_ ," Javik said.

"It would be better if I went alone, Avatar," I answered.

"Perhaps. But not if she decides to kill you. Show yourself as weak, and your enemies will…"

"…imagine themselves strong. Yes, my friend." I paused for a moment, then nodded. "Very well."

"I'm coming too," Morinth said.

"Absolutely not. Aria sees your face, and she can tell _anyone_ that you were here, and where you are _now_ ," I said, glaring at her meaningfully.

 _Your mother_ , was the unspoken "anyone" referred to, but Morinth understood it.

"Fall in, Sergeant Major," I said, turning to the vorcha who was dismounting the Atlas mech.

"SAH!" came the sharp reply and the equally-sharp salute.

The three of us walked towards the famous Omega nightclub. People turned and stared at us as we walked past the line of people waiting to get in. _Figures,_ I guessed. _You can't just walk a Prothean in full armor down the street and not turn a few heads._

 _Ahh. The elcor bouncer_.

"With falsely-assumed calm: Aria is waiting for you inside, Voidwalker," the elcor said.

I nodded, and moved past him. The place was full of Aria's thugs, fully-armed and fully armored.

"She is ready for a battle," Javik said in a low voice.

"We just beheaded a major crime organization on her station," I replied. "She would be a fool _not_ to be."

We walked into the main room. The rhythmic pounding of the dance music and the flashing lights were a bit discombobulating, I had to admit. More so than in the game. I thought we were going to have to shove our way through the dancing crowd in front of us, but then suddenly the music stopped. The collective groan that followed was interrupted from the intercom.

"We're closed. Get the fuck out."

 _Aria T'Loak._

Every patron, no matter how drunk, buzzed, or wasted, instantly and quietly made for the door. Leaving only the three of us standing in the middle of the room. Surrounded by dozens of guns pointing our way.

"Give me one good damn reason not to blow your fucking heads off right _now,_ " continued the disembodied voice over the loudspeaker.

Pyke's hand began to stray towards the two SMG's on his thighs, but I raised a finger to stop him.

"If it's a fight you want," I said slowly, "Urdnot Wrex says that wrecking derelict space stations is a bit of a pastime of yours…. _Aleena."_

There was a long pause. Then there was a slow clap, and the blast doors on the level above us opened, revealing Aria's observation lounge. She was standing, clapping slowly.

"So that old lizard is still kicking, after all these years," Aria said, still over the loudspeaker. "How is he doing?"

"Well, last I saw him," I answered, Kevin letting out a _huge_ sigh of relief.

 _THAT was a huge gamble._

 _Fan-canon confirmed._

"Come on up, Voidwalker," Aria said. "Leave your friends down there."

I nodded at Javik and Pyke, and made my way up the stairs. There was Aria, sprawled on her couch, exactly like the games.

 _Focus, Kevin. This is NOT the games. This is as REAL as it gets. One misstep, and we won't live to see the next Reaper invasion._

"Miss T'Loak," I said, with a bow.

"Oh, what _manners_ ," Aria commented coyly. "I must say, I like this entrance a lot better than the one you made to the Blue Suns meeting."

"The Blue Suns were a means to an end," I answered. "You are not."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Aria said, shaking her finger.

"Then let us dispense with flattery," I said. "The Blue Suns have undergone a change of leadership."

"I should say so," Aria nodded, "You think you can control them?"

"Their leadership was not transferred to me," I said. "Mr. Massani requested the Immortals' help in carrying out this little _coup_. That done, my control of them is over and done with."

"Honestly, I don't give two shits who runs the Blue Suns," Aria said. "But changes in leadership like this are generally bad for _my_ business. And people who _fuck_ with my business _fuck_ with me. And…."

"…Don't Fuck With Aria," I finished for her. "I have no intentions of breaking Omega's one Rule."

Aria stared at me for a few more moments.

"My arrangement with Dal'Serah," she said finally. "That will continue?"

"That is a conversation you should have with Mr. Massani," I answered. "I wasn't lying when I said that I have no interest in running the Suns. I just helped a friend of mine obtain a position to do just that."

"A lot of effort to undertake for a friend of yours," Aria commented.

"I am willing to go far and accomplish much for my friends, Miss T'Loak. And I will go equally far to put down threats from enemies. I think in that, we are very much alike."

"That is not as reassuring as you seem to think it is," Aria chuckled. But there was deep bitterness to her laughter, as her eyes pierced into mine, weighing whether or not she should kill me.

It's a weird feeling, knowing that the person sitting across from you is considering killing you with the same amount of consideration that she is giving to what she should have for dinner tonight.

"It makes me look bad: to have a meeting I for which I was running security end up in a bloodbath."

"Then own the bloodbath."

Her eyebrow arched.

"If anyone asks, tell them _you_ took the head off the snake," I continued. "Make something up about Dal'Serah planning to overthrow you. With your reputation, they'll believe it. Blood Pack and Eclipse will think twice about crossing you, and you might even get concessions from both gangs out of it."

"Convenient, except for the part where _I'm_ the scapegoat for anyone looking for revenge."

"There were only eight bodies on that floor, out of a room of one hundred and thirty-two. Anyone looking to exact revenge will know exactly who go after." I patted my armor. "I was very clear as to who I was. The only people who will believe your story are the people who are stupid enough to be cowed into falling in line."

There was still indecision.

"You appear stronger than ever in the eyes of the underworld," I continued. "The asari boss who took the heads of the two Blue Suns commanders without flinching. I avoid the wider galactic spotlight, which suits me fine. And everyone who matters will believe the story that you pulled it off, based upon the illustrious reputation you already enjoy. And best yet: We both walk away happy. If not friends, then at least we'll be... _not_ enemies."

"You've thought this through, haven't you?" Aria asked. _I'm impressed_ , is what her eyes said.

"As I said, I have no intention of breaking Omega's Rule," I said. "You can either chose to believe that, and we both walk away. Alternatively, you can… not. But I do know this: we would both lose that fight."

"Plenty of _men_ have thought they could beat me before," Aria said dangerously.

"Honestly? I don't think I _can_ beat you, at least in a straight-up fight," I answered. "But you should know that I would not die easy. If you test me, Aria T'Loak… you will fail. And your kingdom would burn around you, even _if_ you stood over my lifeless corpse."

There was another moment of silence between us. Then I saw her eyes come to a conclusion.

"Honest men are hard to find these days, Ko'le Voidwalker," she said. "It would be a shame to kill you and rid the galaxy of such a rarity."

I exhaled, relieved beyond words. I started to take a step back, but then paused. I slowly bent my knee before her, bowing my head.

"In that case, I would venerate the name of the Pirate Queen of Omega," I said solemnly. "If you have need, you have but to summon. And the Immortals shall answer, Aleena T'Loak."

I looked up. Admiration was on her face, hidden behind that thin ghost of a smile she always wore.

"I haven't gone by that name in _centuries_ , Voidwalker. Here, I'm Aria."

I nodded, and walked backwards to the head of the stairs. Gesturing to Javik and Pyke, we left the nightclub.

"Trouble?" asked Javik.

"Not today, at least," I answered honestly. "Not today."

"Back to the ship then, sir?" Pyke wondered.

"We have one more stop to make," I said, bringing up my Omni-Tool. I dialed the number.

" **Sir?"**

"Mr. Leng, have you found who we're looking for?"

" **Yes, sir. He's holed up in an apartment down on Shaka Level. Roil Street, Apartment 7B."**

"He is there now?"

" **Yes, sir. You should know, he's not alone. You'll never guess who he's shacked up with."**

"Liselle T'Loak?"

" **Damn. You** _ **are**_ **good."**

"Keep watch until we arrive. Alert us if they leave."

" **Oh, I doubt there's any danger of that happening anytime soon, sir. Unless Grayson is just a** _ **really**_ **bad lay."**

"Who is this…Grayson?" wondered Javik.

"He used to be the Illusive Man's best agent," I explained. "Until Harper tried to betray him and kidnap his daughter."

"Then he was a fool, for allowing his former master to live. Why do we want anything to do with a warrior who decides to hide rather than fight?"

"Because he is one of the only people to have seen the Collectors up close and in person, and _lived_ ," I answered. "I need information on the warriors who risked so much to steal my friend's body. Information only _he_ has."

The shuttle down to Shaka Level was uneventful, but gave a great view of the dilapidated, overcrowded mining camp-turned pirate station.

"In our cycle, we would have bombed a place like this from orbit," Javik said, looking at the thronging masses moving beneath us.

"But in _this_ cycle, it is the bitter shell of an _alba_ nut that hides the tender flesh within."

Javik huffed.

"You are cruel to bring up a delicacy that has long gone extinct, _Seneschal._ "

Kai Leng stood up as we approached.

"They're still inside, Boss."

"Very good, Mr. Leng. Escort the General and the Sergeant Major back to the ship. This errand I _must_ do alone," I said, before Javik could object. Kai Leng nodded, and the three of them turned away to return to the shuttle.

I braced, and then crossed the street, activating my cloak, a new toy from the R&D department. It was basically identical to Kasumi's. And _totally awesome_ , to quote Kevin.

I rapped three times on 7B, and then stood to the side. A panel slid open at the top of the door.

"Mr. Paul Johnson?" I asked.

"Who's looking for him?" a female voice asked.

"No one who wishes him harm, Miss T'Loak," I answered, deactivating my cloak. It made for a good entrance, and also put people on edge.

"Who are you?" Liselle asked.

"Someone with news of Mr. Grayson's daughter," I answered cryptically.

The panel slammed shut and I could hear muffled voices coming from inside the apartment. Then I heard the lock turn on the door, and it swung open. A human male stood in the door, pistol in hand.

A pistol that was pointed squarely at me.

"I told the Illusive Man a year ago: anything happens to me, Gillian, or Kahlee Sanders, the Alliance will get a file automatically sent to them with EVERYTHING I have on them," he said.

"The Illusive Man is dead, Mr. Grayson," I answered.

There was a flicker of hesitation and surprise on Grayson's face.

"Bullshit."

"No shit of bulls, Mr. Grayson. I killed him, and buried him in an unmarked grave. Jack Harper is dead."

The pistol dropped from between us, but the guardedness behind his eyes did not.

"So who are you, and what do you want with me?"

"First off, to convey exactly what I said earlier: that Gillian is in very good health, and she has been accepted onto the quarian crew of the _Idenna._ Hendrel Mitra sends his regards."

"You've seen her?"

"I just returned from the Migrant Fleet. Yes, I have seen her, but I did not speak to her."

For the first time, the suspicion flickered.

"She's…. she's ok?"

"In very good health. From what I gathered, she is a beloved and valued crew member of her ship. They call her Gillian 'Grayson _nar Idenna_ now. She's a healthy thirteen-year-old human girl."

Relief washed over Paul Grayson's face. Liselle even walked over and touched his arm comfortingly. Not seductive or clingy, just… to be there.

"Um… will you come in, friend?" asked Paul, stepping back to open the door wider. "I still don't know your name."

"My name is Ko'le. I am sometimes called Voidwalker," I answered. Surprise flickered on Liselle's face.

"The Leader of the Immortals," she said in a low voice. "Mother says you attacked the Blue Suns just this morning."

"You're well informed," I confirmed with a nod.

"Second?" Paul asked.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked.

"You said that the news of Gillian was 'first off.' What is second?"

"What do you know of the Collectors?" I asked.

Unmasked fear flashed across Grayson's face.

"Enough to stay as far as _hell_ away from them," he said. "Almost got sold to them, in that mission with the Migrant Fleet. Believe me friend, whatever you think you want with the Collectors, or whatever they've promised you, run like hell. You want nothing to do with those monsters."

"I want to hunt every last one of them down and wipe them from the face of the galaxy, Mr. Grayson," I said. "That is what I want from them."

Grayson's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Good luck with _that_ ," he said. "Nobody has ever gotten close to them and lived, much less found their home base."

"Do you have an image of one? Or any kind of recording at all? Please. I can't tell you how many lives might be at stake."

"Forgive me, friend, but I've heard that particular line of bullshit before," Grayson said. "That's why I'm her: No lies on Omega: good, bad, ugly, beautiful – everyone just _is_ what they _are."_

"I have reason to believe that the Collectors will be targeting human colonies," I answered simply. "I need to find them and to kill them before that happens."

Grayson looked at me, and then walked into the back bedroom. Liselle and I stared at one another for a few awkward moments.

"His red-sand addiction?" I asked.

Liselle nodded her head. "It was a rough week…. But the withdrawals have stopped."

"I'm glad," was my sincere reply.

"So… what do the Immortals want on Omega?" Liselle asked.

"Helping a friend. Don't worry, Miss T'Loak. I have no designs against you or your mother."

Liselle opened her mouth to say something, but Grayson walked back into the room. He handed me a small OST.

"This is a copy of what I have on the Collectors," he said. "Sorry there isn't more.

"Thank you, Mr. Grayson," I said.

"Is it true, then?" Grayson asked. To my inquiring look, he continued, "That the quarians are applying to the Conclave?"

"Oh, yes," I answered. "There's still talk about which colony they will set up on, but you should consider visiting your daughter when that happens."

A pained look came across Grayson's face. He shook his head.

"No. Cerberus may be crippled, but there's sure to be a power struggle going on right now. And the Illusive Man's former right hand," he grimaced, "would go far towards setting any of them on the road to securing the rest of Cerberus."

"I can guarantee that Cerberus will no longer interfere with you and yours, Mr. Grayson," I replied.

Grayson smiled, but it was a mirthless one.

"Oh? And how can you do that, Mr. Ko'le?"

"Because they generally do what their Illusive Man commands. And," I opened my hands in a disarming gesture.

Realization slowly dawned on Grayson's face, followed by anger.

"You sonova – "

The pistol started to raise again, but I lashed out with a kick, sending it from his fingers. I spun on my heel, knocking him back away from the weapon. Liselle, startled but determined to help her boyfriend, flared her biotics, coming at me with biotically-enhanced strikes. I activated my cloak even while I was blocking her attacks. She swung at empty air, and missed. She and Grayson shared a look, focusing on the seemingly empty room. Suddenly, a sword was in the air, and I de-cloaked, sword to Liselle's throat.

"NO!" Grayson yelled. He took a step towards us.

"Mr. _Grayson_ ," I said in as a voice I could muster. Grayson stopped, never taking his eyes off Liselle. I removed the sword and gently nudged her forward. Grayson wrapped her in his arms, and then turned back to me.

"Dead or no, my deal with the last Illusive Man still stands. Anything happens to me –"

I waved a dismissive hand.

"I have no _intention_ of hurting you, Mr. Grayson. And don't worry, this is not a job offer. You've been wronged by this organization enough. But I am moving Cerberus towards its original goal and more: the protection of not only the humans of this galaxy, but every species, and every race. The Reapers are coming, Mr. Grayson. A war like you won't _believe_. And I am trying to prepare for it. Every word I've ever said to you since you opened that door has been the truth. Believe me…"

I cloaked again.

"… or don't. The choice is yours. But that does not change the facts."

As I made my way into the back of the house, I saw the unsure looks they gave each other.

* * *

" **Everything go okay**?" Miranda said over the comlink.

"He was… suspicious. As you might expect."

She nodded.

" **Damn shame, how Cerberus treated him. Did you get the data?"**

I scanned the OST.

"Sending you the data now. See what EDI can make of it. How is she doing?"

" **I must admit, I've been impressed. Since she has integrated with Lazarus Station, air quality has improved by nearly 7%. Power distribution has normalized as well."**

" **I'm just trying to help, Father,"** EDI said.

"EDI… what did we talk about? About you eavesdropping on other peoples' conversations?"

"… **Sorry."**

"I'll see you soon, ok?"

EDI smiled.

" **Alright."** Then her avatar disappeared from the holo-projector.

The holographic image of Miranda shook her head.

" **I have to say, I was hesitant about allowing an unshackled AI on this station,"** she said. **"But she's… sweet. Very ingratiating. The rest of the staff here already love her."**

I smiled. "I'm glad. I will be there shortly. I have one more stop to make here on Omega, then the _Virago_ will be moving to rendezvous with you."

" **Very good, sir. Lawson out."**

The transmission ended. I turned and walked into the club. This was a small hole-in-the-wall club, but it was the favorite hang-out of my target. When he wasn't in the lower level of Afterlife. I walked in and moved towards the back. The two guards on the back room were apparently too distracted by the two salarian strippers on the stage to notice me. I didn't even _need_ to cloak as I walked past them.

"This room has been reserved, human," a deep bass voice rumbled.

Ok. The game definitely did _not_ do this guy justice. This krogan was _ancient_.

His headplate covered his entire head, and then arched up, like some kind of ornate head-dress. He leaned heavily on a cane, and the scars of battles past covered literally every inch of skin. He was not clad in armor, either. He wore an exquisitely-woven robe that looked for all the world like it belonged on some kind of wizard cosplay costume.

 _Oh. My. God. He's the krogan version of Gandalf the Grey._

 _Or maybe Saruman the White._

"Patriarch." I bowed my head, tapping my throat twice and then my forehead.

Patriarch's eyebrows raised at the gesture, and he chuckled in his throat.

"You know krogan manners very well, human. Very well, I bid you sit, if you will."

I took the seat opposite him.

"What can I do to help the leader of the Immortals, especially after he has dealt such a crippling blow to the Blue Suns?"

"Word travels fast," I commented.

"I'm old, _whelp_ , not dead."

"I have come to ask you for your help."

"Advice is about all I'm good for these days."

"Not advice, Wise One. Honored as I would be to receive _raogjof_ from you, I come to ask _aosta_ of you."

Now the eyebrows narrowed.

" _Aosta?_ What 'military aid' do you think an old krogan like me can give you? You honor me by the naming, but I am what you see before you."

He stretched out his arms gesturing to himself.

"I am an old _starik_ , not even worthy of being counted an enemy anymore."

"Shortly, there will be a turian arriving on this station," I continued. "He will go by the name of Archangel. I need you to get _this_ to him."

I slid a data drive across the table to him.

"What makes you think I can find him? Thousands of turians come through this station every day."

"You may be old, but you are not dead, _Mudret."_

He chuckled.

"Your knowledge of krogan titles is impressive, _Seneschal…_ "

He took the data drive.

"It makes an old _starik_ feel good to be considered in the schemes and plans of this station again. Might even give me a chance to die a death other than a bed-passing."

"True krogan do not die, _Mudret._ They just fall back to Hell to regroup and counterattack."

Now the old man laughed outright, slamming the table with his cane.

"HAHAHAHHA! Well spoken! I like you, human. You have surprised an old krogan. Which at my age, is quite a feat. I will help this… Archangel, if I am able."

"Thankee-sai, _Mudret."_

I stood, bowing low again, repeating the gesture I made upon my entrance. I then turned on my heel, and walked past the two gawkers still on "duty."

As I walked back towards the shuttles, my Omni-Tool pinged. I looked down. The Extranet address read:

0RDA1n3d.

 _Curious_.

I opened the message:

 _Help. They are killing us._

 _-Mira._

 _FUCK._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **As promised, here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure! Read, enjoy, and please leave me your thoughts, even if it's only, "Good job, I liked it."**

 **Or, if there's something you didn't like, or even something you'd like to see in later chapters, send me your PMs and your ideas! I never would have made this far by myself, and I certainly can't finish this task alone. You guys: the readers, are what have made these two stories possible. Without you, the chapters just don't get done. I'm serious. You guys are inspirational, and for that I am very humbled, and very grateful.**

 **Special shout-out to my friends** **Appbeza** **and** **Blaze1992** **, for sending me some awesome ideas. I can't guarantee that they'll all be used (on account of I'm still trying to hammer out where this story is going) but I am always appreciative of other people's creative genius.**

 **\- Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

shugokage, Tahkaullus01, redcollector, Appbeza, general-joseph-dickson, 5 Coloured Walker – I actually wrote the StarView chapter after watching a Fox News segment. I think I'll probably be inserting our good friend Aiden Polonius in between every few chapters, just to give a unique perspective on what the rest of the galaxy could be thinking.

Agent Klyntar – That is the question, my friend: Do you jeopardize the timeline to do a good thing, or allow people to suffer, so events will transpire in a way that you _know_ will happen? I'm not even sure, and neither is Kevin/Ko'le.

METALHELLSPAWN – Don't worry. War makes strange bedfellows, so we will see alliances made and battle lines drawn before all this is over.

Deathknight999 – MIRA will be joining us shortly, never fear.

Asahar4 – Hope I didn't disappoint with the Paul Grayson/Liselle bit.

alurker – Ko'le has given the videos to the Alliance, at least. What steps he will take after that… we'll see.

diet docelb, Nagato21, masterdude94 – Thanks! My story is the result of a bunch of people's encouraging words, like yours!


	10. Chapter 10: Dark Sun

***LAZARUS STATION*  
[REDACTED LOCATION] **

" _Seneschal_ , General, we are pleased by your safe arrival."

Javik nodded at the Prothean scientist who had met us on our arrival.

"Agwe."

Loras powered down the shuttle, then handed me a datapad.

" _Imperator,_ the Conclave session is in ten minutes. Miss Lawson is waiting for you in the Communications Center."

I nodded, still deep in thought.

 _Mira's in trouble._

 _She contacts me, tells me "they" are killing "us." But no location and no personal identifiers._

" _Us" we can assume refers to the geth._

 _Well done, Kevin. But who is "they?" Heretics? Reapers? Collectors? Quarians, even?_

 _We need to trace this signal. Find out where it came from, at least. She wouldn't have sent it if she didn't know you could trace the source._

 _Maybe EDI can –_

The doors opened, and I paused to take in the sight.

Miranda was standing in the room, black and gold Immortals catsuit, as per usual.

What _was_ unusual was the floating metal orb beside her. It looked for all the world like 343 Guilty Spark from Halo. The orb turned along with Miranda to see who had entered the room.

"Hello, Father," the orb said.

"EDI?" I said, a bit incredulously.

The center "eye" of the orb went from white to blue, and a human-sized hologram of EDI was projected _around_ the orb (with the orb being "in" the chest of the hologram). The hologram came over and threw her arms around me. The hardlight-emitters felt solid as I returned the gesture. There was a brief moment, then EDI stepped back.

"Sorry… I just…. wanted to do that for a while," she said.

"A hardlight emitter array?" I asked, looking her up and down.

"It's good to see you too," she snarked, smiling.

I smiled. "It's good to see you, EDI. Now, explain this new emitter."

"Xanawe and Nyoka helped me."

 _Ahhh. Two of the Prothean scientists. 'Programming and Cyberwarfare' I think their skills report read._

"Impressive," I commented. "How do you like it?"

"It has proven most convenient in my transportation," EDI said. "Miss Lawson doesn't have to install to install hardlight emitters all over the station, and I don't have to restrict myself to where I can go."

"I must admit," Miranda said, "It's been convenient having EDI have access to the station. Even I can't be everywhere at once."

"I don't know how healthy it can be for an AI to simulate _love_ ," grumbled Javik, taking his place at the table.

"Better _love_ than _hatred_ , General," EDI replied evenly.

"One day, Program, you might learn that those two emotions are two sides of the same blade."

" _Enough_ ," I interjected.

Silence fell. I turned back to Miranda.

"Connect the channel to the Conclave."

Miranda pressed a button, and the holographic forms of each of the representatives of the Conclave appeared around the table:

Rhysan, Hanar Representative,

Din Korlack, Volus Representative,

Calyn, Elcor Representative,

Oleg Petrovsky, Human Representative,

Shiala Konstantin, Representative- _in-proxy_ for the Thorians,

And of course, next to me was Javik, Prothean Representative. The hanar were only too willing to accept the Protheans as full members. The elcor and the volus had come on board when they realized exactly how much technology the Protheans had to offer.

"I call this session of the Conclave to order," I recited. "We remember the fallen. Those who came before us."

Somehow, "Blessed be the Enkindlers" seemed kind of inappropriate when they were literally standing next to you.

While Din Korlack was presenting a report on the economic stock market of the Conclave (which was actually doing pretty well, the whole presentation was just boring as hell), I opened a private communication channel with EDI.

" _EDI."_

" **Yes, Father?"**

" _I need you to trace a message sent to my Omni-Tool. I need to know where the message originated. Sending it now."_

" **Of course, I'll see what I can do… who's 'Mira'?"**

" _That… is a conversation that we will have very soon. But not now."_

" **Understood."**

The economics covered, Miranda gave an update on the R&D department.

"The Prothean Battle Rifle has been put into production," she reported. "Magi Agwe has been very helpful in the design process."

"We have lightened the rifle by almost 14 ounces. And we have expanded the power capacity of the rifle by almost 16%," Agwe added. "All Protheans have been successfully immunized, with only minor side effects."

"This one rejoices at the prospects of the Enkindlers walking alongside the free peoples of this galaxy once more," Rhysan said. Agwe gave a very condescending nod. Javik simply grunted.

Tabitha Rasa, now Director of Intelligence (Petrovsky's idea, not mine), next gave the Conclave a report on all the intelligence gathered concerning the recent pirate attacks on Conclave colonies.

"Since the poisoning of the Batarian Hegemon six months ago, the Hegemony has been in chaos" she reported. "The recent attempt to assassinate the Citadel Council, led by none other than the batarian ambassador Jath'Amon, has left an even further leadership void that has yet to be filled on Khar'shan. All intelligence reports to a subtle inter-family war going on behind the borders of the Hegemony."

"Suspiciously: Most of the pirate attacks have been batarian or batarian-commanded crews," commented Calyn.

"Yes, sir," confirmed Rasa. "Without exception, all of the pirate crews have been found to have financial ties to House Vrenak, one of the principle Great Houses on Khar'shan. House Balak is a vassal house of House Vrenak. They were made famous by the attack on Terra Nova by Commander Ka'hairal Balak. Commander Shepard stopped the attack, but Balak escaped. He remains officially a wanted criminal in the Hegemony, but there are rumors that he is being sheltered by House Vrenak.

They have long been advocating an expansionist policy, even going so far as to attempting to pass demands against the Alliance and the Council, but they have never had the required majority in the Hegemon."

"Apparently House Vrenak has decided not to wait for a majority," Oleg mused, hands folded. "That's the trouble with batarians: the Great Houses are almost autonomous of one another. You can have peace with six Houses, and still be at war with three of them."

"Who is House Vrenak's greatest rivals?" asked Javik.

"House Khaljir, of Arnhur. Ironically, House Khaljir supported the abolitionists in the Arnhur Rebellion of 2176. They have since rebuilt most of the infrastructure on that world, moving from Lesser House-status to being declared a member of the Great Houses in 2180."

"We should open a dialogue with them," Din Korlack said. "See what inroads can be made against House Vrenak."

"Supportingly: the enemy of my enemy –"

"Is sometimes another enemy," Rhysan interrupted. "This one does second Ambassador Korlack's suggestion, however. This one merely hesitates at declaring open _support_ for one or another of the Great Houses."

Rasa bowed her head in acknowledgement, and then ended her transmission. Next was a report on the transition of the Blue Suns to the Black Suns.

 _Yes. I like Star Wars. Sue me._

Apparently, the anticipated counter-movement against the new leadership had taken form in the guise of Emily Jedore, one of the Blue Sun Tribunes. She had sent out a declaration denouncing Aria's attempt to control the organization (which made me smile) and called for all the "True Blue Suns" to join her in her effort to "restore the dream of Vido Santiago."

 _Great. They're trying to make a martyr of a monster. Jedore? She's with Okeer now…. Or has she teamed up with Okeer yet? Shit. Another thing to try and find out…_

Others had apparently taken up her cause, however. Most noticeably Tarak, the Blue Sun commander on Omega, and apparently Darner Vosque.

 _Knew leaving that guy alive was a mistake._

Also, down near the bottom of the list of Blue Sun die-hards, one name jumped off the page at me.

 _Warden Kuril: Commander, Prison Ship_ _Purgatory_.

 _Ahhh. I wonder where Jack is right now…. Is she on the ship, or does she get locked up later? Or will she get locked up at all now that the Blue Suns have had their little schism?_

I forwarded Jack's dossier that I had assembled to Rasa, asking her to look into it for me.

Oleg Petrovsky contacted Kai Leng on the behalf of the rest of the Conclave, sending him the list of rebel Blue Suns.

"You know what to do, Mr. Leng."

Leng smiled his usual psychopathic smile, and ended the transmission.

 _Lot of dead people, coming up._

" **Father?"**

" _Yes, EDI?"_

" **I have traced the message. It originated from the former quarian planet of Haestrom. It is located in Dholen System on the Far Rim."**

" _Thank you, EDI. Well done."_

Suddenly a chime on the door interrupted the current discussion concerning tax code and system jurisdiction. Loras Zabat, my yeoman, walked in.

"Apologies, honored ambassadors, but there is a priority message from the Alliance Admiralty Board. Admiral Olusegun Jones requests an audience with the Conclave."

We all looked back and forth at one another in surprise. This was unexpected.

"Intrigued: Patch the message through."

"Your will, Ambassador."

The elderly form of the Alliance's most senior Admiral appeared on the screen.

"Honored Admirals, thank you for taking my call. I apologize that more formal diplomatic channels were not utilized. However, circumstances have arisen that pre-empt social niceties."

"How can we help, Admiral?" Oleg asked. Genuine respect and admiration were in his voice.

If the Admiral was surprised to see General Petrovsky on the Conclave, he did not show it.

"One of our ships, the _Orizaba_ , has gone missing in the Far Rim. It was on a standard scouting mission to reconnoiter geth strength, and it suddenly went dark, mid-transmission. It has now been 87 hours since we last made contact. I have no time for false pride, Ambassadors: the Alliance military is spread thin, and we do not have the ships in position to respond, at least not for several more Earth-days. And time is of the essence here."

"We have several ships in on the edge of geth space," I said. "Where was the Orizaba's last known location?"

"Dholen System, in the Far Rim," answered the admiral. "A small desolate planet called Haestrom."

EDI physically turned her head to look at me at this news.

 _Do you believe in coincidences? Because I don't…_

"We will, of course, respond to the best of our ability," Rhysan answered.

"I feel it necessary to tell you, Oleg," Jones added, turning to face the general directly. "The captain of the _Orizaba_ : is Hannah Shepard."

 _The Butcher of Torfan. Whose daughter I am now standing three stories above._

"And the squad leader of the ship's complement of Marines, _Seneschal,_ " continued Jones, now addressing me, "is Lt. Ashley Williams."

 _Ash._

"I will have the _Comet_ prepped and ready to go within the hour, Ambassadors," I said, turning towards the door. EDI and Javik followed, as did Loras, who was standing right outside the door.

"Radio the _Comet,_ Loras," I said, my mind racing at a million miles per hour. "We leave within the hour."

"Father…"

"Ko'le…"

I turned towards them.

"I know what you are going to say," I cut them off. "That I'm too important. That there are others who can go in my place. Well, I'm not, and they're not. I have to go," I said simply. "If there is a chance my friends could be in trouble, I have to help."

Javik closed his mouth, and then nodded. EDI looked thoughtful.

"Then I'm coming with you, Father."

* * *

 ***HAESTROM*  
DHOLEN SYSTEM, FAR RIM**

To say that the rest of the Immortals had been… unenthusiastic about my going to the ass-end of nowhere is putting it mildly.

Morinth would have gone with me in a heartbeat, but I needed her at the new offensive that was about to be launched in the Terminus Systems.

With me leading this scout party, Javik would be commanding the _Virago_. And I couldn't think of better hands to leave her in.

Pyke Morrell had insisted that he accompany me. And I insisted right back that he not desert his post. His men would be the vanguard of the Immortals, and they needed their Sergeant Major.

The _Comet_ was essentially a tricked-out long-range shuttle, captured from a pirate base early on in the Conclave's formation. Now, retrofitted and refit, she was the fastest ship around, perfect for getting in and out of places like this, and still large enough to deliver a punch where and when it counted in a straight-up fight. That said, the crew complement was extremely Spartan, with only two gunners, a pilot, a navigator, and a commander. Loras of course, in her doggedly loyal way, had taken the pilot's seat. EDI had assumed the navigator's role, and I took the captain's chair. The two gunners took the form of the two Prothean warrior women, Xanawe and Nyoka. If it was geth we ran into, they were the Javik's best hackers and cyberwarfare specialists. Also, they had designed EDI's new emitter-globe. If anything happened to _her_ , they were the best qualified to repair her.

I sat in the captain's quarters. It was very small and _very_ cramped, especially compared to the _Normandy_.

 _So, let's recap, shall we?_

 _We have the mother of the savior of the galaxy, who so happens to be a ruthless Renegade badass in her own right._

 _We have our former (or is it current?) lover serving with her on the same ship._

 _And to top it all off, we have our first A.I. friend who has, for all intents and purposes, joined with the geth. We don't know if she has been absorbed into the Geth Consciousness, or perhaps corrupted by Reaper code, or dying alone somewhere in a ditch._

 _For all we know, this could be an elaborate trap the geth have set for us. Or the Collectors._

 _Yes, very cheerful, Ko'le. I feel loads better now._

 _Would you prefer that I LIE to you?_

 _A little bit, yes._

There was a chime at the door.

"Enter."

EDI stood in the doorway. She walked/floated into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Father… do you have time for me?"

I furrowed my brow.

"Daughter… I always have time for you."

EDI looked positively…. contemplative.

"What is it?" I wondered. "What's wrong?"

"Who is 'Mira'?"

I took a deep breath.

 _Here we go._

"It's a long story," I said. "I believe the human phrase in this day and age is, 'You might want to sit down.'"

And so I started on the tale. I left nothing out. From finding Mira on the Citadel, to taking her to Virmire, to the final battle on the Citadel.

"And all I found on the YMIR mech was this file." I sent her the audio file. She did not play it out loud, but I could see her facial expressions turn thoughtful and analytical.

"And that was the last I heard from Mira… until 12 hours ago," I concluded.

There was a long pause. EDI was the one to break the silence.

"She is very brave."

"Yes. Yes, she was."

"So… that is why you were willing to help me on Luna. Because you had lost her…"

"No."

EDI looked confused.

"I helped you because you needed it," I explained. "You are not a _replacement_ for anyone, EDI. You are your own person. You have developed in ways far beyond your original programming, and not by the efforts of anyone else but yourself. Of that… you should be very proud."

"Continuing with the simile of a human family, would you say she is my… _sister?_ Mother?"

 _That's a good question._

"Mother," I said, after deliberating awhile. "I had no hand in her development, other than giving her an interface. But she did not grow as a program, as you did. She _developed_ , as any living being does. For this reason, I would describe her as your matron, than your sibling."

Again, EDI did not say anything for a while.

"I would like to meet her."

"I would like for that to happen as well, little one."

"This must be hard for you," EDI commented. "The woman with whom you had a sexual relationship, the mother of the woman upon whom you hang your hopes for the galaxy's future, and… a former friend, who might be still be friend, or might be foe."

"That is it in a nutshell," I confirmed.

"Thank you for telling me… Dad."

I arched an eyebrow.

"Dad?"

"Jaco…Operative Taylor suggested that I call you by a less formal title. He says that it adds to my human element."

"Oh really? And what else does Jacob Taylor say?"

"He helped build this platform," she gestured proudly. "He's… very helpful."

 _Aww. Caaaaaan you say first crush?_

 _Shut up, Kevin._

Before I could offer any comment on the "helpful"Mr. Taylor, Nyoka's voice came over the intercom.

" _Seneschal_. Bridge."

EDI and I looked at each other.

"We're coming out of FTL," EDI explained. "We should be coming into the Dholen system momentarily."

The small cabin door opened directly onto the ship's bridge. EDI walked over to her station and took her seat. I took the captain's chair.

"Arrival in….3…..2…1," Loras said.

The swirling stars around us faded, revealing a star with a lone planet in its orbit. Suddenly our control panels lit up like Christmas trees.

"Sir, dark energy readings from Dholen's star confirmed," Xanawe said, typing furiously at the display panels.

"Shields draining," Nyoka added. "Trouble ahead."

"Get to the dark side of the planet," I said. "Get us out of this infernal sun."

As we dipped around the planet, putting it between us and the sun, we suddenly came upon…

 _FUCK me._

Orbital stations filled the space above the planet. Geth ships could be seen scurrying to and fro between them.

"Scanning eight orbital stations. Twelve ships," Nyoka said in her matter-of-fact succinctness.

"Keep us in a low profile, Loras," I said to my yeoman.

"They have detected us, Herald," she said. "But for some reason, they appear to be ignoring us."

"I'm picking up wreckage from another two stations, and three ships," EDI said. "All geth," she added, seeing my worried expression. "The weapon marks have Alliance signatures."

"The _Orizaba was here_ ," I murmured. "Any sign of her?"

"Negative," Nyoka answered.

"I'm picking up a lot of geth activity on the planet," Xanawe contributed. "On-screen now."

An image of the planet came up on the viewscreen, zooming in on one of the lower continents. We could see a ship that had apparently crash-landed on the outskirts of a ruined city. Around it were _hundreds_ of heat signatures that the scanner had identified as geth. And exchanging fire with them were several human signatures, arranged in three and four-man squads in a tight perimeter around the ship.

"Confirmed. _Orizaba,_ " Nyoka said.

"It is currently night at the crash-site," EDI said. "But dawn will be breaking for them in approximately six standard hours. Day length here is only 18.5 standard hours long."

"Full speed ahead, Loras," I said. "Put us in a strafing run above the _Orizaba._ EDI, Broadcast a signal back to the Conclave. Tell them what we've found."

"Sorry, Dad," EDI said, after a minute. "I'm getting too much interference from the solar radiation. No outgoing transmissions possible."

 _Damn. That would've been too easy._

We had descended into the planet's atmosphere. Beneath us, we could see the exchange of fire between the geth ground forces and the _Orizaba_ crew.

"Target the geth," I said. "Drive them back from the – "

An explosion rocked our craft.

"Fighters. Behind," explained Nyoka, absolutely no surprise or panic in her voice whatsoever.

"They did not appear on our tactical scanners!" Xanawe said, both surprise _and_ panic in her voice.

"Most likely another result of the damage we have sustained from the solar radiation since entering this system," EDI said, keeping her voice calm and even.

"I'm losing power!" Loras said, grunting against the controls.

"Dive!" I said. "Put us down on the surface. Find a corner those geth can't follow us."

"Easier…said…than done," grunted Loras.

We dove in a stomach-clenching dive, still taking fire from the two geth craft behind us.

"Hang on," Loras said, and pulled on one control stick, while pushing the other one forward. The _Comet_ spun in an aerial maneuver that I am _positive_ it was never designed to do. Suddenly we were facing the two geth craft.

"Somebody _shoot,_ please," our pilot said through clenched teeth. Xanawe and Nyoka held their fire, however, until the moment we shot in between the two craft. We were too close for any barriers the geth might have had to do any good whatsoever. The shots ripped apart the geth ships, sending them tumbling towards the planet's surface.

"Well done, Zabat," I said. I only got a nod in response.

"Dad, we are still losing power," EDI chimed, "Our power cells were damaged by the geth. We have auxiliary cells, but they are designed for use in orbit. They will not allow us to maintain our current in-atmo altitude."

"Land the craft," I said. "You and Loras try and repair the ship's power cells."

We touched down in the ruins of the old quarian city, the light from the ship and the engine exhaust illuminating the ruined buildings all around. With a low whine, the engines shut down and power went off in the ship. The landing ramp in the back of the ship opened with a hiss and low moan of hydraulics. Xanawe and Nyoka fell in with me, as we set off towards the _Orizaba_ , Dragon Rifles in hand.

" **Be careful, Dad."**

"You too, little one," I replied. "Keep everything powered down while you make the repairs. If you run into problems, you're to take off and make for the relay, do you understand?"

" **Herald** _ **,"**_ Loras answered, **"We can't just – "**

"If the choices are to be taken apart by a geth patrol, or leaving me with a stranded crew of the finest Alliance soldiers," I interrupted, "The correct and logical choice is obvious."

" **Doesn't make it any easier to make,"** EDI replied.

"That's my girl," I said, smiling.

By now, we were coming onto the outskirts of the city. We could hear the gunfire in the distance growing louder.

"Xanawe, scan for all Alliance comm frequencies," I said, sending her the frequencies that we had used on the _Normandy_. Xanawe brought up her Omni-Tool, scanning through all the various frequencies.

"I have them, my Lord."

Suddenly in my comlink came all the shouts, screams, and sounds of war.

" **We have another wave incoming!"**

" **Get those wounded back to the ship! Williams, get your team back here! Charlie Team, cover fire! Get to the high ground!"**

" **MOVE YOUR FUCKING ASSES!"**

 _Wow. It Jane Singer's voice, alright. But it's VERY far from the sweet, matronly voice from the games._

 _Of course, she's fighting a gorram war, not having a private conversation with her daughter._

 _The daughter we have in a tank on the other side of the galaxy._

 _Shit. This is going to be complicated._

Another female voice interrupted my conversation with Ko'le/Kevin.

" **This is Bravo Team. We're pinned down! Charlie Team, fall back to the perimeter, there are too many of them!"**

 _Ash._

"Bravo Team, this is Conclave One," Ko'le's voice came over the radio, before I even comprehended it. "You have friendlies moving in from the north."

"… **Ko'le?"**

"Repeat, friendlies inbound, black and gold armor. Hold your fire!"

Xanawe and Nyoka had broken into a sprint alongside me.

If you have never seen a Prothean squad in action, you are missing a glorious sight. No orders had to be given or barked. I could relay _feelings_ towards one or the other of my squad-mates, and they would obey without word or question.

 _Oh, I've missed this. That wondrous feeling of connectivity._

 _Well, you've missed it. It's all new to me._

We leapt over the last barricade, and the first of the geth units came into sight. We opened fire, each one of us sending off targeting information, pointing out threats, and cover each other's backs, all without a single word.

We were a moving maelstrom of destruction. We were death.

 _Thou seest me as Time who kills  
Time who brings all to Doom.  
The Slayer Time, Ancient of Days, come hither to consume.  
_

 _Fight! They must fall, and thou must live, victor upon this plain!_

The words Kevin had memorized… _how long ago_? came to mind as geth units fell all around us. Nyoka and Xanawe had also hacked about half a dozen geth platforms, and I had two geth enthralled as well. We three had become twelve, and that twelve then became fourteen, then we were down to seven, now ten.

' _Tis glorious._

Suddenly we reached five Alliance soldiers, cut off from the rest of their comrades. Leading them I saw a female figure in Phoenix armor, blasting away with her Avenger assault rifle while dragging another marine to safety.

The three of us whirled around, setting up a green-black biotic bubble around the Alliance squad. Then we began slowly walking towards the ship.

"MOVE!" I barked. The Alliance soldiers used our cover to grab their wounded, and moved with us until we rejoined the perimeter. The bubble around them suddenly shifted to become a wall behind us, and wordlessly we sent the shockwave towards the advancing geth, scattering them like ninepins. The gunfire ceased suddenly, the geth disappearing into the fields and rocks from whence they had come. The Alliance lieutenant slowly turned to me.

"Ash…" I started to walk towards her, when suddenly she snapped to attention, and saluted.

"Captain," she said, looking _past_ me. I turned.

A lone figure in the grey and red Terminus Armor was making her way towards us. A gloved hand came up and removed the helmet, passing it to one of the soldiers following her.

 _The very image of Rebecca Shepard. Just… older._

 _And scarred._

One eye was the same green emerald as her daughter's. The other was a glaring red artificial optical implant, apparently made necessary by whatever had given her the jagged scar starting in her scalp and moving down her right cheek all the way to her chin.

"Captain Hannah Shepard," I said, saluting. "I'm…"

"I know who the FUCK you are," came the savage, hate-filled reply. Hannah Shepard brought up a pistol and pointed it right at my face.

"What I don't know is what the FUCK you are doing here."

The Alliance soldiers around us followed their captain's lead, rifles and shotguns coming up to bear on us. Xanawe and Nyoka's biotics began to flare, but I stood them down with a single mental command. The fact that Ashley stood there and did _nothing_ did not escape me. Not a single word in my defense. Not a single acknowledgement of who I was.

I slowly brought up my arm and activated the video recording of Admiral Jones giving the Conclave the mission information.

"Our scout ship was brought down not far from here," I said, when the recording stopped. "We came to _help._ "

"And a big _fucking_ help you've been," Hannah Shepard scoffed derisively, but lowered her weapon. "Three fucking soldiers, shot down with the rest of us. Now I have to keep _you_ three alive as well. You haven't _helped_ anyone, you stupid dumbass. You've only made my job harder."

Anger seeped from my two companions, but I sent a reassuring vibe their way.

"Unlike the _Orizaba_ , Captain," I said slowly, trying to keep anger from my voice. "My ship will soon be repaired, and we will soon be having Conclave reinforcements arriving planetside."

Hannah Shepard turned to Ashley.

"Lieutenant."

"Yes, ma'am?" Ashley said.

"If either of these three _aliens_ attempt to board the _Orizaba_ , you are to shoot them."

She then spun on her heel and walked away without another word to me. Ashley turned away from me as well, shouting orders to various squad leaders.

"Tajo, get those barricades back into position," she was saying. "Wallace, get back to the ship and get a report on the repairs."

" _Ashley_ ," I hissed. "What the FUCK is going on? Will you talk to me? I just saved your lives, for the God's sake!"

She froze.

"Of course you did," she said angrily. Her words were a low growl, laced with rage. "Because that's what you do, isn't it? Just come in _save the day_ every time the rest of us screw everything up? You just _had_ to be the big _fucking_ hero, didn't you? Thought that swooping in the pulling our asses out the hot spot like the goddamn cavalry would just _fix everything,_ didn't you?"

I stood there, stunned.

"Well guess what?" she hissed. "You're about two fucking _months_ too late! Two. Months."

"Is that what's this all about?" I asked, incredulous. "Because I wasn't there when the _Normandy_ went down? Do you think for a moment that I haven't been beating myself up _every day_ for two months because I _wasn't there?_ I would give _anything,_ to bring her back, Ashley!"

"THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I HEAR FROM YOU?"

 _The FUCK?_

"Two months," Ash choked. "Sixty-three days. And not a single word. Not a single email, or a goddam letter. I lost one of the best people I've ever known and you _weren't there_. Not then, and not after."

I took a step back, still stunned.

"Ashley…" I said, bringing up my Omni-tool. "I contacted you… every day. Every _fucking_ day."

Ashley looked down at her Omni-Tool as I established a direct link and began re-sending my communiques. She had a look of utter bewilderment and denial as she saw the time-stamped messages appear on her screen.

There was a very long pause.

"I'm…. I'm…" she started, then suddenly turned and ran towards a pile of crates. I followed her closely, and she suddenly went down on her knees behind the crates and retched. She went down to all fours, and continued gagging.

" _Bastards_ …" she was saying between heaves. I went down on a knee and put a hand on her back.

"Breathe, Ash… it's ok."

"No… noit'snot. Noit'snot. Ugghhh."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"They _blocked_ them."

"Who?"

"I was in de-briefing for two weeks after the attack. Intel spooks put me and everyone else through the grill, asking me all kinds of questions. I sent out a letter every day when I had a moment alone. They must've… must've… _bastards_."

She turned back to me.

"I got in touch with my family… my friends…. But not you. Why would… why…"

"It doesn't matter," I said, and I pulled her close. Her arms wrapped around me in a fierce bear hug.

" _I'm so sorry. So sorry. Sorry."_ She said over and over again.

"Shh," I crooned. "Let's concentrate on the here and now."

"Right," she sniffed and I helped her to her feet. "I'm…. whoa."

She tottered on her feet.

"When was the last time you slept?" I asked. "Or ate?"

She lightly punched me in the shoulder.

"Shut up."

* * *

* **SOME TIME LATER***

"So… tell me about the Butcher of Torfan," I said. We had made a ring of the perimeter, but Captain Shepard had gone back into the ship.

"Well… first off, she hates being called that," Ash answered. "Scuttlebutt says she shot a fellow captain in the thigh once for it."

"I believe it."

"She's…. everything Skipper wasn't," Ash continued. "Where Becca would inspire loyalty, she instills fear. Where she would have a kind word, the Captain is there with an ass-kicking. And the thing is… I don't really know which one gets the better results. It's like… Skipper was a paragon of virtues, and her mom is… is… What's the word?"

"A renegade," I said, shaking my head at this newest nod to the games reality had thrust upon me. _Ruthless,_ I thought to myself.

"Yeah."

" **Seneschal. Geth,"** came Nyoka's voice over the radio.

Ash and I looked at each other, and then caught up our weapons, shouting out orders. I found the two Protheans and took up a position next to them.

"Any word from the _Comet?"_ I asked.

Nyoka shook her head.

"Not yet, _Seneschal_ ," answered Xanawe.

"As soon as we can we should – "I started, but then noticed a thin red line on a nearby marine's chest. I pulled him towards me, the shot just going over his shoulder.

"SNIPERS!" I yelled out. Suddenly the geth were in front of us, charging forward. No battle cries, no sounds at all. Just silent determination and the * _wup-wup_ of their Geth Pulse Rifles. Grenades and biotic warps launched out, scattering the charging geth.

"MOVE OUT!" came a cry to our right. Glancing right, we saw a Terminus-Armor-clad figure leap over the barricade and charge _toward_ the oncoming geth. The marines around us leapt over to follow her.

 _She's crazy_.

I charged forward with my biotics, drawing Lieutenant as I did so. I activated my Omni-Shield, using it to flip a geth unit bodily over me. I left it for someone else to kill, and pressed on.

Shepard was, in Kevin's words, _bloody awesome_. If Rebecca Shepard was a legend on the battlefield, her month was the myth. She now had twin Omni-Blades activated, skewering a geth platform and using it as a shield to absorb enemy fire as she walked forward, calmly blazing away with her pistol. The impetus of the geth's charge had been broken, and they were too scattered to resist this counterattack.

 _She's crazy, but brilliant._

Suddenly, a low rumble could be heard. I looked around, and saw all of our allies doing the same. Then, the rocks ahead of us exploded into tiny fragments. Behind it, I saw two geth Colossus units, with about five armatures in support.

"Oh, fuck me," Ashley gasped next to me.

Hannah straightened up over the geth unit she'd just decapitated. She looked out at the incoming tank units coming towards us.

"FALL BACK!" she shouted. "Bring the ship's cannons to bay!"

Then she charged directly _at_ the incoming units.

 _Crazy, but brilliant, but suicidal._

I charged forward with her, dodging the multiple _massive_ shots that the geth tanks were firing at us. To my right and left, I saw Xanawe and Nyoka moving with me.

 _Right, wait for it… now!_

Hannah threw an incendiary grenade at the closest armature. The explosion rocked it off-balance. Xanawe took that opportunity to target its giant eye. Nyoka turned to me and cupped her hands. I lifted a foot into her hands and boosted off her, flaring my biotics (which doubled the height her biotic throw already would have gotten me). I came down on the armature's back, seeing the gap in the armor that Mira had pointed out to me on Virmire. But I didn't want to blow this one up. Not yet. I ran to the gap and plunged my interface spikes into the exposed wiring.

" _Ochedin Valannor!"_

The geth armature's giant eye went from white to a florescent green. Then it turned and opened fire on the other geth units.

"Seneschal!"

I turned to see Nyoka carrying Hannah Shepard's unconscious body, given cover by Xanawe biotic barriers. Leaping from the armature's back, I supported her barriers. Luckily for us, one of the geth colossus units was targeting my newly-turned armature. The other one however, aimed a shot directly for us. I knew that even our biotic barriers were going to be useless.

"COVER!"

We rolled to the left, narrowly dodging the massive energy discharge.

"Get her back to the ship!" I said. "I'll cover you as best I can."

The two Protheans nodded, then took off towards the ship. I activated my Omni-shield again, and took out my rifle in my other hand.

 _This is gonna hurt,_ I braced myself.

But before I could put my insane plan into action, a massive explosion rocked the colossus targeting me. Then more shots brought it stumbling to its knees. The rest of the geth had managed to destroy my enthralled armature, but not before taking some hits themselves. They now turned to try and locate the source of this new threat.

And forgot about little me.

One armature turned florescent green, and I disconnected my spikes. Instead of telling it to just open fire, I ordered it to charge the nearest armature at a top speed. Which, granted, wasn't breaking any land records, but I made the leap onto the hostile armature's back and turned that one as well. As if on cue, more rockets connected with the colossus units. My two armatures ran for each colossus unit, taking up a position _underneath_ them.

And then self-destructing.

The geth units were ripped apart in the massive explosions. I lowered my biotic barrier which had shielded me from the explosion, looking around for my rescuers.

Through the flames of the burning geth armored units came multiple figures. In the dark now, all I could see were silhouettes illuminated by the fires all around us. That, and their flashlight heads.

 _Crap. More geth_.

I raised my rifle, but then hesitated. These were not like any geth I had ever seen before. What approached me now was like all sentient races put in a line and transformed to geth. Barely any two of them looked the same, only common thing being the frame. Each one had a different set of modifications. The first one in line was a Commander class Geth, towering at around 9 feet, his left hand replaced by a set of machine guns. Beside him was a geth unit that looked for all the world like a xenomorph, with the same winding tail and tall head-plate. Beside it was something that looked like a geth trying to imitate a turian, with multiple spikes coming off of his otherwise normal geth head.

 _The hell was this?_

The last one looked pretty basic except for on top of its head were several tentacle-like appendages, each one with their own little camera eye, giving it a 360-degree view of its surroundings (or so it seemed to me). As the unit reached the front and stood next to the commander class geth, the eye flashed up brightly and all cameras turned towards me. I definitely didn't have the opportunity yet to be watched by someone with more than two eyes. It was very Medusa-esque vibes. I fought the urge to look away to avoid being turned to stone. The Medusa walked towards me slowly, its hips sashaying.

"Ordained."

 _What the actual FUCK?_

The Geth weren't meant to make contact until the third game. There never were unique Geth aside from Legion. Did Levi send them? Must be. Nobody knew me as "Ordained" but Levi, the Keepers and-

 _SHIT_.

The realization hit me like a truck. Or an asteroid. Or a charging Krogan.

"Mira?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey everybody, sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter. Life got busy and hectic here around the holiday season, something that I'm sure you all can relate to! Hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for it, and I'm already working on the next chapter, which I'll upload as soon as possible! That said, please: feel free to send me your ideas, thoughts, critiques, and comments! This is for you guys, and I want you guys to feel involved in the story.**

 **Special shout-out to Zahkrii, for shooting me such awesome ideas for Mira and Ko'le's reunion.**

 **You guys are awesome! Hope to see you soon!**

 **\- Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Deathknight999, Br2nd66, Squadpunk2.0, Tahkaullus01, redcollector, general-joseph-dickson, Biorr the Old, - We're about to meet the New Geth and find out how they've held up against the heretics. The only question is, how will they hold up against the Butcher of Torfan?

shugokage, Nv34, Nagato21 – Yep, the coup of the Blue Suns is definitely going to rock the boat in the galaxy. Prepare for a massive gang war, right in time for a familiar turian to be landing on Omega…

tamagat – I don't have a name for it as of now. It's a light armor, and I had the Mercenary model in my head when I was writing the scene.

METALHELLSPAWN – According to canon, Wrex is around 1400 years old, and Patriarch is supposed to be "the oldest krogan around." Supposedly, the leading rumor is that he ruled the station during the actual Krogan Rebellions, and their aftermath. So that would make him about 2000 years old?

Appbeza – We'll see a lot more of EDI and Ko'le interacting here on Haestrom, don't worry!

Asahar4 – I wasn't planning on having a Ko'le/Aria slash, but there are definitely strong feelings. I think Ko'le reminds Aria too much of her when she first got to the station for her to outright "like" him.

griezz – don't worry, we'll be seeing the _Normandy_ SR-2 very soon.

RoyalTwinFangs, dtrammell95, Haruchai, Blaze1992, Uruchi-Soul, Agent Klyntar, 5 Coloured Walker, Cowie2, Rmito, sygiko, hishamkm, Rangle, Cf96, Mr. P, dragons guard, Elvisfonz23, spiral83 – Thanks you guys! Couldn't have done it without each and every one of you! Keep the thoughts and comments coming!

YOU GUYS ROCK!


	11. Chapter 11: Enemies Closer

"Mira?"

I stood there, stunned.

The geth unit nodded.

"It's… it's good to see you," Mira said, switching back to her old voice, rather than just the geth monotone.

 _That voice_.

I lowered my gun, not saying a word, trying to process the scene in front of me. Mira looked down at her feet, then back up at me.

"I know… new body, right? I've made some… modifications of my own," she said, turning slowly all the way around. Her central eye widened and her "hair" moved back to lay down on her neck.

"Oh, spirits, it's the hair, isn't it? I know, it's stupid, but I mean tactically, it's a sound idea, and I guess I kinda missed my hair, which is of course, ridiculous, 'cause it wasn't even my hair, not real hair, I mean…. Oh god, I'm babbling. Shut up, Mira. I'm just nervous, I gue-"

I cut her off by throwing my arms around her. She drew back for a moment, but then returned the gesture.

"I've missed you, my brave, brave girl," I whispered.

"I missed you,too. I thought… I dunno, I thought you might be angry. That I left, I mean. I wasn't sure my message got through. I wasn't sure you'd even come if it did… but here you are!"

We broke the hug, but then she pulled me in for another one.

"It's just _so good_ to see you."

The other geth units stirred uneasily behind us.

"Same here," I replied. "But I think your friends are getting anxious."

"Oh, right, sorry," she said, pulling away. She turned and rattled off a series of geth clicks. All of the geth units' "eyes" turned to stare intently at me, flaring wide.

"What'd you say?"

"I just told them our entire life story so far," Mira answered.

"Oh, no wonder they all looked bored as hell."

Mira brought up a three-fingered hand and punched me lightly in the shoulder.

"Ass."

The Geth Prime unit stepped forward.

"Ko'le-Mentor, we are…." It began, but then paused, looking down at the ground. Then it looked back up at me.

" _I_ am Cabal, a terminal of the geth. It is a great honor to mean the Mentor of Prophet-Mira."

I turned to Mira, my eyebrows raised. Her hair rolled their eyes. (I'll let you pause on that expression however long it takes).

"Not a word, _Ordained._ "

I smiled, and turned back to Cabal.

"I give you greetings, Cabal of the Geth."

The Xenomorph stepped forward.

"I am League, a terminal of the geth. It is good to meet the Mentor of Prophet Mira, Ko'le-Mentor."

And so the introductions went on around the room. The "turian's" name was Faction, and the one carrying a _jetpack_ was Posse. There as another Prime named Syndicate, and a geth with freaking _wings_ named Aggregate.

 _Wings_.

Well, kinda like wings: they were two long rows coming off of his back where he could keep extra guns, missile launchers, and at the end of each "wing" were twin vibro-blades.

 _Damn_. _So each one is named after a group of something. I wonder…_

"What, no Legion?" I asked, trying to sound joking, but also to test the waters.

Mira cocked her head to the side.

"No… but that's a really good name. Don't know why no one thought to take it."

 _Ok. So Legion is not with Mira's geth. It must still be with the True Geth behind the Perseus Veil. Or is trying to re-trace Shepard's steps still._

 _There might be no Legion in this Universe…_

 _Stay on task, Kevin!_

"So… what happens now?" I asked. "How many of you are there? Platforms, I mean, not geth programs."

Mira looked down, shaking her head.

"Less… thanks to the she-bitch who captains that ship."

I nodded in return.

"Yeah… I had a pleasant run-in myself.

"Before her arrival," Mira said, "we had control of the planet, they had control of the skies. It was a stalemate that we were able to maintain. Until…"

"Until the _Orizaba_ came out of FTL," I completed.

"She destroyed five cruisers single-handed." Admiration was in Mira's voice, mingled with sorrow. "When they finally brought the ship down, I sent patrols to try and negotiate with her. She shot them all and then came after us."

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry."

Mira nodded.

"We've been pushed back. The heretics landed their troop transports and have been trying to take the _Orizaba._ I've held my troops back until I could have some way of establishing a dialogue with Cpt. Shepard. Something that so far has been impossible…."

"Until my ship dropped out of the sky."

"Will you STOP finishing my sentences?!"

"Sorry," I said, raising my hands. "I get ahead of myself."

"We cannot win this war on our own," Mira said. She shook her head again. "I was only able to get us to a standstill. I'm… not you. I don't have your..."

"You have done well, Mira. Thousands of Geth programs are alive today because of you."

"I thought you said you would let me finish my sentences."

"I'm sorry. Let's get back to the ship."

Her eyes went wide.

"Are you sure that _that's_ a wise idea? The Butcher of Torfan is not known for being welcoming of aliens. And _nobody_ is particularly welcoming of geth at the moment."

"I am Ko'le _Seneschal,_ Mira, _Imperator_ of the Conclave. Follow. Me."

I turned and strode back towards the ship.

"Lt. Williams, this is Conclave 1, do you read?"

" **Ko'le? Where are you? Your two friends just got back here with the Captain. Where are you?"**

"I'm inbound. Hold fire. We need to talk. The situation has changed."

* * *

 ***SOME TIME LATER***

"You have GOT to be kidding! You trust them? Ko'le, they're _geth!_ "

"And Cerberus are humans. Should we then not be trusted?"

"That's different!"

Mira stepped forward.

"The geth Consensus has been broken. The heretics and the True Geth are at a stand-off, and of the heretics, we have broken free of Nazara's control. We are not the enemy here, Lieutenant Williams."

Ashley looked back and forth between me and Mira.

"This is _insane_."

I shook my head.

"We don't have a lot of options right now, Ash."

She suddenly looked past me.

"Captain."

I turned slowly to see Hannah Shepard standing in the doorway, one hand clutching her side. The other held her pistol which she shakily raised to point at me.

"How. Dare. You." She said slowly. "how DARE you bring geth onboard _my ship?_ After what they have done? I should shoot you where you stand, motherfuck-"

I flared my biotics. Her pistol flew from her hand. I raised a fist and she floated in the air. The Alliance soldiers in the room drew their guns, and my two Prothean companions did the same. Mira had surrendered her weapons before boarding the ship, but still activated two Omni-Shields, one on each arm.

"Captain," I said in as calm a voice as I could muster. "Your ship has crashed, with no chance for repair before the sun comes up in less than two hours now and fries whatever electrical systems you may have left. The same sun which cuts off all communication with the outside world. I have made an alliance with the only species that have lived here for the past three centuries. We have a rare strategic opportunity here, Captain Shepard: A chance to destabilize the Geth Consensus. Out of respect for your daughter, whom I respect more than any human I have met thus far, I have held my tongue. But if you are too blinded by hate to see this opportunity, then you, and every soldier under your commander will be dead by tomorrow's nightfall."

I dropped my biotic fields, and Hannah dropped to the floor.

"The choice is yours, Captain."

My two Prothean companions sent me undertones of support and approval.

Hannah Shepard grimaced in pain, and then slowly straightened up. I didn't even need my Prothean implants to sense the Hate and anger flowing from her.

"Come on, Mira," I said. "We're leaving."

Mira looked back at Captain Shepard, then at me, then turned to follow me out of the room. Ashley also followed me, along with Xanawe and Nyoka.

"Ko'le – "

"I know, Ash," I interrupted. "I'm not leaving for good. I have to check on _my_ ship, and comms are down right now. I will return, but she needs time. Time to get over her anger, and time to mourn her daughter."

Ash shook her head.

"She'll need a lot more than two hours to do that."

"I know. But she at least needs a while to realize that this is the only way."

She nodded.

"I'll be back soon," I promised. "I'm getting you out of here, Ash."

I turned to leave, but then suddenly Ash grabbed me and pulled me back to her, claiming my lips in a fierce kiss, which I returned. When we came up for air, she pressed her forehead against mine.

" _Thank you_ for coming for us, Ko'le."

I brought a hand around to the back of her head.

"I will always come for you."

Xanawe and Nyoka followed me out of the ship. Mira and Syndicate were waiting for us.

"Everything ok?" Mira asked.

"No," I said. "We've got a xenophobic captain and girlfriend who I've asked to trust the race who killed the captain's daughter and the girlfriend's entire squad."

"Oh, good, I thought something was wrong."

I gave her my best sideways glare.

"Just trying to lighten the mood…"

"Nine months, and your humor hasn't gotten any better."

We set off for the _Comet,_ silently running from cover to cover. Suddenly there was a loud ringing in my head. I winced.

" **Sorry. Never had to send a signal from the outside before. Wasn't even positive I could do it."**

" _The HELL are you doing, Mira?"_

" **Just figured we should have a conversation before I meet the AI that knows me as 'Mother.' What's she like? EDI, I mean?"**

" _She's… very intelligent. Curious, about everything. A good head on her virtual shoulders. Her holographic interface has been modified with haptic hardlight interfaces."_

" **Hardlight? That's possible?"**

" _Thanks to R &D, it is now." _

" **Oh, wow. I have… so many questions. So many applications could be made for the geth. My geth. The geth who** _ **follow**_ **me, I mean."**

" _We're overdue to have a conversation about that, by the way."_

" **I have so missed our conversations…"**

"… _me too."_

We chatted, me telling her about the Protheans I had discovered on Eden Prime (hence my two current companions) and the goings-on in the Conclave since Mira had been gone.

" **So… you and Ashley?"**

" _Yeah… battlefield 'thank-God-we're-not-dead' sex. Thought it was something more, but then the Normandy was lost. Haven't talked to her before today."_

" **Judging from that kiss, I'd say it was something more."**

We came around the bend into full view of the _Comet_. I pulled up my Omni-Tool and the ramp lowered to allow us onboard. Syndicate and the other New Geth took up sentry positions around the ship.

"EDI? Loras?" I called out, going up the ramp. "Everyone ok?"

"Back here, Herald," came the muffled shout from Yeoman Zabat. Xanawe and Nyoka took their seats in the man control center and brought their displays online wordlessly. I motioned to Mira to follow me and we traveled down the narrow corridor to the engine room. The panel was gone from the floor and clanking could be heard below decks. A drell hand shot up from the hole in the floor.

"Number 5 socket?" Loras asked.

Mira moved to the toolbox and handed her the wrench in question. Their hands touched, and the drell started at the metallic touch, bumping her head against a panel in the process.

"AMONkira!" she swore, grabbing her head and looking up at us.

"Yeoman," I said to her in greeting.

Confusion came across her face.

"Herald… did I hit my head harder than I thought, or is there a geth in our engine room?"

"Mira, Loras, Zabat, my pilot and able yeoman. Loras, this is Mira."

" **She was our pilot on the Citadel, wasn't she?"** asked Mira privately, which I confirmed.

Loras looked at Mira's outstretched hand for a moment, and then took it gingerly.

"Pleased to meet you," the drell said.

"The feeling is mutual, Loras," Mira said. "I'm sorry you've been stuck babysitting _this_ one while I've been gone," she said, gesturing towards me. Her hand cupped her mouth, shielding a mock-whisper:

"I know it's a full-time job."

"It has been my pleasure to serve the _Seneschal_ ," Loras replied, a smile growing across her face. "Even when he insists on ignoring the advice of those around him."

"He can be a bit of a know-it-all," Mira said, her eye narrowing at me.

"Dad?"

Loras moved aside to allow EDI's orb past her in the service tunnel. She floated up into the room with us, and then activated her holographic interface. She looked from me to Mira, and back to me, and then gave me a hug.

"I was worried about you," she said.

"You shouldn't be," I reassured. "Your old man can take care of himself."

I pulled away from the hug, looking her in the eye.

"I want to you meet someone very special. This is – "

"Mira," EDI said, turning towards the geth platform. EDI's hands went behind her back, suddenly unsure what to do or say.

"I've… heard a lot about you," she managed. "I've looked forward to meeting you."

"And I you," Mira answered. She looked up and down at EDI's interface.

"You're so… _beautiful_."

"You too." EDI and Mira brushed their respective "hair" back behind their necks.

"I have run 1,893 potential simulations of this meeting," EDI stated. "And suddenly, now that it is occurring, I can't think of anything to say."

Mira stepped forward and pulled the holographic teenager into a hug.

"Then let me start by saying it is _very_ good to meet you, little one."

EDI's eyes went wide, then slowly, she closed them, and returned the gesture.

"I was afraid you'd resent me," she said in a small voice.

Mira cocked her head to the side.

"Resent?"

"That you'd think I was trying to take your place in Dad's…. Ko'le's life."

Mira placed her hands on EDI's shoulders.

"Oh, sweetheart: Your 'dad's' life apparently consists of gallivanting around the galaxy, saving as many people and races as he can. The only I would resent is if he had to do that alone. I'm just glad someone like you was here to take care of him."

"Despite his best efforts," EDI snarked, narrowing her eyes at me, smiling.

Mira looked at me, her tendrils rising. Even without a face, I could tell she was smiling at me.

"Oh, I can already tell, we're going to get along _fantastically,_ " she said, then looped EDI's arm in her own.

"Now, tell me what you two are working on down here."

* * *

 ***FIREBASE GLACIER*  
SANCTUM, DECORIS SYSTEM, SIGURD'S CRADLE**

"Lieutenant Locke, move your men up on the right! Keep the pressure off of the landing zone!"

Javik turned to the command console, displaying the current Immortal, Black Sun, and Blue Sun positions. The thin habitable zone on this planet's equator meant that flanking maneuvers were limited, and also almost guaranteed that there would little or no air support. He begrudgingly admired his adversaries for a moment: they had chosen a good place to make their stand. A full-frontal assault would cost the Conclave three or four times as many men as the Blue Suns had in the base.

Which is why they were dropping from orbit, not assaulting the front gates.

Javik stepped into his drop-pod, along with seven other soldiers. He was thankful that they were fellow Protheans. The prospect of being locked into a pod with seven primitives was… distasteful to him. They were good fighters. The past few days had proven that.

They just _reeked_ of sweat and bacteria.

Now in position above the enemy compound, the _Virago_ fired the drop-pods towards the planet below. The turbulence of atmospheric entry was lessened by the straps and harness securing the Protheans to the walls, but not by much. Javik locked eyes with each of the warriors around him, sending out a mental message:

 _Today, no Prothean dies._

Affirmation and assent, along with confidence bordering on arrogance, flooded his sensors in reply.

The light on the wall went from red to green.

 _Now._

Each of the soldiers hit the green button next to them. The floor of the pod opened up, and there was a sudden lurch as the parachute deployed, bringing the pod to a shuddering, jolting, if momentary, halt. The harnesses detached from the walls, and the Protheans free-fell towards the carnage below. When only a few stories above ground, each of the Protheans flared their biotics, slowing their decent and sending out a massive shockwave when they landed, scattering Blue Sun legionnaires like _jubjub_ beetles from light.

Javik brought up his Particle Rifle, taking out the two Blue Suns that were beginning to recover from the biotic meteor-strike that had descended upon them. One of Jaden's throwing daggers found its place in a third foe's throat.

 _Thando, Jaden: Right_. _Zama, Ogando, Tajo, follow. Jaheim, Emboli: Left._

Complex battle stratagems developed and executed within seconds. Emboli had drawn his double-bladed sword, weaving back and forth across the field, his weapon ignoring armor and shield generators alike. These were designed to resist fast-moving bullets, not a Prothean vibro-blade. Ogando's sniper rifle bored through solid concrete pylons to find their targets. Nothing was safe from his scope, and no target required a second shot to send them to the Father's embrace.

 _This._ This was glorious battle, as it was meant to be fought. Javik almost resented having to turn on his radio to contact his less-evolved allies.

"All wings, report."

"Fortress secured," came Massani's voice over the communicator. "The communications relay has been destroyed. Proceeding to secondary objectives."

A lesser general would be content to order his men about from the safety of a command post. Javik liked this Massani. He was down in the mud and trenches with his men, as any true commander should be.

"Morrell here," came the vorcha's sharp report. "We are encountering heavy resistance near the shuttle hangar. Enemies appear to refuse to be extricated bloodlessly, the cheeky bastards."

"D'len – " Javik began.

"Dagger Squad moving to support," the asari reported. Javik allowed himself a smile. The asari and her squad of commandos had proven formidable warriors. Truly, his people's investment in them in the previous cycle had been time well-spent. He looked down at the courtyard below to see six volus, clad in their fully-armored mech-suits, come crashing through the wall to flank the Blue Suns below.

For being such seemingly fragile creatures, the volus had shown themselves to more than merchants and money-changers. They were, in fact, capable soldiers when given sufficient protection. _Seneschal_ had indeed been wise to see this trait in them when any Prothean general (including him) most certainly would not.

An elcor took down a squad of Loki mechs and braced himself on the edge of the fighting. The gun on his back sent out a red targeting laser on the bunker that currently was pinning down their offensive. The laser acted not only as a targeting laser for the heavy cannon on the elcor's back, but also for the _Virago's_ orbital cannons. As soon as the laser triangulated the target's position, a firing algorithm was quickly computed, and the elcor fired. The blast from his cannon and the orbital cannons found their targets within 7.83 nanoseconds of each other. There was no time for the enemy to seek cover. The once-formidable bunker was now only a smoldering crater, entombing the foes who had manned its guns.

He waved the Conclave troopers on, and they moved over the ruins further in towards the last vestiges of gunfire that could be heard the distance.

As the black-and-gold Immortals and the black-and-red Black Suns moved back and forth across the battlefield, the Blue Sun positions were separated, cut off, and then overwhelmed piecemeal.

Before the sun had set, the enemy general, Captain Narom, surrendered the pitiful remnant of the Blue Sun garrison. As much as it galled Javik, mercy was granted to the survivors. While his Prothean instincts and training demanded the rebels' deaths, he could see the wisdom in the Conclave's decision. Offering amnesty to those who surrendered had resulted in not a few Blue Sun strongholds executing their rebel commanders and "taking the black," as Massani had put it.

"Any word yet from the _Imperator_?" asked Javik to the quarian communications officer.

"Nothing, General," came the reply. "And no answer to any of our messages."

Javik cursed the delay that these rebels had caused him. But now came the laborious but necessary process of processing the wounded, tending to the prisoners, and repairing the captured enemy ships and equipment. At least twenty-five YMIR mechs had been deployed against his men today. If only half of them could be made serviceable again, they would prove a powerful boon to their forces in the next battle.

 _Stay alive, Ko'le,_ he sent out mentally across the stars. _I did not come fifty millennia into the future to lose another of my brothers now._

* * *

* **LABAN*  
ENOCH SYSTEM, ROSETTA NEBULA**

" _Repeat, this is Imperator Ko'le to any and all Conclave vessels in the area. We have crash-landed on the planet Haestrom. We have located the Orizaba and have linked up with survivors from the crash. We are under geth attack and in immediate need of reinforcements. Be warned: this system's sun gives off dark-energy radiation that will disrupts your electronics and compromise your shields. Re-modulate your shields to 8.76 gigahertz and set a refresh rate at 34.6794 nanoseconds. This will weaken your shields, but will counter-act the radiation, by our calculations. We will hold as long as possible, and if necessary, will evacuate as many survivors as possible in the Comet._

 _Repeat, this is Imperator Ko'le…"_

Kylee Osana shut off the ship's communicator. As garbled as the message was, even after she had cleaned it up, there was little chance any other ship had received it, and practically no chance that the message had made it to Conclave space.

Ko'le's voice filled her with all kinds of emotions: Nostalgia – remembering finding the handsome Neanderthal on Therum, and fighting at his side at Feros, and their departure on the Citadel. Sadness – remembering the crash of the _Azure Maiden_ , and the death of her crewmates and her sister. Comfort – being found by Mother and the great lengths her new brothers and sisters had gone to heal her and to make her one of them. She _belonged_ now, more truly than she had ever belonged anywhere. Thoughts and emotions were shared, instantly and without suspicion or reserve. Their entire collective might overcame any obstacle that came in their way, and solved any problem they faced. They had built themselves a home here in the ruins of this desolate planet, away from the prying eyes and vengeful hearts of the Citadel. They who once weak, were now strong again. They who had been forgotten by the galaxy, lived, and stretched limb and sinew beneath warm sun again. No longer banished to the desolate cold of empty space. No longer imprisoned beneath cruel needles and scorching blades. Free to feed. Free to grow.

Free to _Sing._

"Great Mother," Kylee sung, her eyes going white. "News received."

" _ **Sing this news unto the Swarm, Broken-No-Longer,"**_ came the melodious answer.

"Seneschal of the Protea is in need. The discordant voices of the metal-men trap his chorus upon the planet Haestrom. Strives he does to sing the freedom-song for his sons and daughters, but drowned by the choir of War he remains."

" _ **Where does he strive thus?"**_

"Upon Haestrom does he lift song and voice."

" _ **His sons and daughters come not unto his aid?"**_

"Drowned is his song. Weak is his melody. They cannot hear their Father's chorus."

" _ **Sing the Song of Sailing, then, my children. The War-Songs of the Oravores Swarm, of the Rachni Hive, shall arise again in unison with Seneschal's Song. We shall uplift his melody above the Noise of War and Death. The Victory-Song we shall sing together."**_

" **YES, MOTHER,"** Kylee and her new brothers and sisters sang. **"WE SHALL BRING HARMONY-FROM-CHAOS** _ **.**_ **WE SHALL GO TO HONOR THE VOID TREATY OF OLD** _ **.**_ **"**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Wow. Sorry, everybody. I have sat here and tried to upload this chapter several times, but every time I read it, something else just _didn't quite_ ring true with me, and I refused to do you all the disservice of uploading a chapter that I wasn't proud of. You all deserve the best, and I have endeavored to bring it to you, even though I was delayed with all the holiday hullabaloo. Here is hoping that each of you had a wonderful Holiday Season, and a blessed New Year!**

 **Let me know what you'd like to see from this story in 2016, and what you think of this chapter! Even if it's as simple as "Good job/I liked it!" All thoughts/reviews/ideas/criticisms welcome!**

 **\- Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Squadpunk 2.0, redcollector – I was also really excited to bring Mira back into this story. I'm excited to see what the New Geth bring to the table! :D

Deathknight999, Addlcove, general-joseph-dickson, – the explanation didn't exactly come in this chapter, but we _will_ get there.

Tahkaullus01, Nagato21, METALHELLSPAWN – the Butcher of Torfan is not as lovable as her daughter, now is she? ;P Don't worry. She's not as 2D as she first appears in the story. We just caught her a REALLY bad moment.

Zahkrii – Keep the awesome ideas coming, my friend!

Appbeza – I plan on Mira keeping her geth platform for now… maybe provide the geth with an across-the-board upgrade soon. Levi is not gone from the story, but we won't see much more of him for a VERY long time.

Asahar4 – Canon for the Ilos VI is that it used the very last of its power to help Shepard make it to the Conduit, and sacrificed itself in the process. Haven't really planned on utilizing more Mini-mass-relay tech, but that's an awesome idea! :D

5 Coloured Walker – Canon DID do it first! :P Thanks, my friend!

tamagat – honestly hadn't had a final decision on the clone. No clone has been ordered by Ko'le, because he knows the trouble that might cause. Doesn't necessarily mean there can't be one, if a good enough story angle presents itself.

Blaze1992 – I love the concept of the AMP suit, especially applied to the volus, as you've read by now. Hope you like it, and keep the ideas coming!

Guest – I went as far as Prothean vibro-blades, but I avoided all-and-all "Lightsabers", mostly because OVERT crossovers just tend to annoy me more than anything else (that said, I've read some awesome ones on this site. It can be done).

shugokage, Tactus501st, Elvisfonz23, Kamika111, Mr. P – Thanks! Appreciate the kind words, as always! Wouldn't be able to do this otherwise (seriously).

Thank you all. As I've always said: You guys ROCK!


	12. Chapter 12: God Save the Queen

***HAESTROM*  
DHOLEN SYSTEM, FAR RIM**

"Push them back! Hold fast!"

The heretic attack had come sooner than expected, with several waves of troop transports landing only a short distance away from the _Orizaba_. So far, it was only alternating waves of light and heavy infantry, no armatures or colossuses yet. The biggest danger were the Hunters: In the daylight, you could only _maybe_ see the outline of their active camouflage… if you were lucky. In the dark it was next to impossible. We had lost a lot of good men to those fuckers. They would appear behind a position, blaze away, and disappear again before anybody could realize what was going on.

Moving from cover to cover, I launched two biotic warps downrange, knocking geth troopers into the open. I made my way down the line until I found who I was looking for.

"Williams!"

Ashley was applying Medi-Gel to a soldier's neck. Another marine took her place, applying pressure to the wound while the Medi-Gel did its work.

"How are your men holding up?"

Ashley looked positively haggard. I didn't even want to know how many stims she was currently running on. Nine out of ten of the marines around us were probably on the same stims, trying to stay awake in the face of utter exhaustion.

"We can't hold much longer," she said. "We're running low on Medi-Gel, grenades, and heavy ammo. This position's too hot."

"Roger that!" I yelled back in her ear over the explosions and gunfire around us. "I'll see what I can do!"

I brought my Omni-Tool online.

"EDI? Loras?"

" _ **Comet**_ **inbound, Imperator."**

"Marking the targets, then."

I closed my eyes. Xanawe, Nyoka, and I all simultaneously started sending singularities towards the enemy positions. Regardless of how successful they were against the geth directly, they stood out in the dark, clearly marking the enemy's locations. The _Comet_ * _whooshed_ overhead, EDI targeting the lightshow with heavy weapons from the ship. The explosions lit up the dawning battlefield for a few moments, and then all was still, only a few scattered shots going off here and there.

"Hell of a shot," Ashley said, looking out over the battlefield.

"I'll pass that along," I replied. I reached out a patted her shoulder before moving on down the line. Xanawe was bending over a deployable field turret that had been disabled in the last attack.

 _All right_? I asked via the Mind-Share.

 _Primitive weapons,_ she responded, with a hint of distain and amusement. _Easily broken, but easily fixed as well. It will be ready before the next attack, Seneschal._

 _Nyoka?_ I asked the other female Prothean with me. _Status?_

 _Working on hacking program,_ came the brusque answer.

Nyoka sat silently, typing away on her Omni-Tool. Hopefully, by the time she was done, she would able to send an Area Effect Hack, capable of hacking multiple platforms at once. The only trouble was, the geth were highly adaptable. No hack worked the same way twice, not if it wanted to succeed. I missed the games where it was a simple "one button for all enemies" scenario.

I leaned against the wall, trying to take advantage of this momentary respite. I heard someone walk up and then slid down the wall next to me. A head found refuge on my shoulder. Even with my eyes closed, I knew who it was.

"You OK, Ash?"

"Hmmm…" was the only answer I got. I raised my hand and patted her on the head.

"The Captain asked me about you," Ash said, after a few moments of silence.

I cracked an eye open.

"Really?"

"She asked me if you could be trusted. She wanted to know what Reb – what the Skipper thought of you."

"Hmmm," I said in answer. "That's a question even _I_ wouldn't mind having answered."

Ash sat up, and looked me in the eyes.

"I told her that, despite losing everything and everyone you ever loved and knew, you threw yourself out of a moving ship to save a human colony. That you gave literally everything you had to try and save a fallen lieutenant who _everyone_ else would've left for dead. That you single-handedly organized a band of mercenaries and vagabonds in defense of a people that were not your own. And that you always looked at the larger picture, even when everything in front of you looked bleak and disastrous."

"High praise, Williams," I said, smiling. "I'll have to be careful not to fall off that shining white horse you've put me upon."

"It's where you belong," Ash said, sliding a hand behind my neck. "My fearless Galahad." And then she kissed me. As far as kisses went, we were both utterly exhausted and sleep-deprived, so on a technical level, it wasn't the best. But it was ours. She laid her head on my chest, and we sat there for a few minutes, content.

" _A maiden knight – to me is given  
Such hope, I know not fear;  
I yearn to breathe the airs of heaven  
That often meet me here.  
I muse on joy that will not cease  
Pure spaces clothed in living beams  
Pure lilies of eternal peace  
Whose odors haunt my dreams." _

Ashley sat up and stared at me

"Since when do you know Tennyson?" she asked incredulously.

"Since meeting you," I answered truthfully. "I noticed the book in your cabin on the _Normandy_. So I read it later, when I had the chance. Been waiting for the next time I saw you to surprise you with them."

Tears welled up in Ashley's eyes and she pulled me into a determined hug.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I said, holding her gently. "I thought it'd make you happy…"

"Happy?" she said, into my shoulder. "It's one of the most beautiful things I think anyone's ever done for me."

"Then I am truly sorry for you."

She punched me lightly in the shoulder again.

"Ass."

 _Seneschal._

 _Xanawe?_

 _Geth dropships incoming._

"Ko'le?"

Ashley wore a worried expression.

"Your eyes…they went white again."

"We've got incoming," I said, reaching for my rifle.

Ash's face went grim, and Lieutenant Williams was back.

"INCOMING!" she yelled, and the call was repeated down the line.

" _Mira?"_

" **We're almost ready. We just need a little more time…"**

" _We'll try and win you as much as possible, but you might not have much left."_

" **Understood."**

The low humming of the geth drop-ships could be heard now, but even in the growing dawn light, their silhouettes would be hard to make out against the sky.

 _No armatures yet,_ Xanawe sent through the Mind-Share.

 _They figured out Seneschal can hack them. They don't want to fight their own heavy units_ , explained Nyoka.

 _They might drop a few right on top of us all the same,_ I cautioned. _Call them as you see them._

 _Their programming complex for primitive AI collective,_ Nyoka commented. _Still primitive, however. Only dangerous in great numbers_.

 _Great numbers inbound,_ Xanawe sent, along with a twinge of amusement, which Nyoka and I shared, despite the seriousness of the situation.

The first drop-ship rushed overhead, dropping geth troopers from its zero-point-energy fields it generated. Several of them were hit before they reached the ground, due to the Alliance and New Geth snipers that were in position. Unfortunately, we had too few snipers and too many heretics.

This time, however, the troopers did not sit back and trade shots with us, as they had in waves past. The second their feet hit the ground, they took off towards our line at top speed.

 _They're trying to rush us!_

 _No shit, Kevin._

 _Ko'le, we need to –_

 _I KNOW, KEVIN. SHUT UP._

I – _or was it Ko'le_ – drew Lieutenant from my back and activated my Omni-shield. I leapt over the barricade, meeting the first wave of geth troopers head-on.

 _I wonder…._

 _Can we do that?_

 _One way to find out._

I hurled the sword ahead of me, using my biotics to spin the blade like a buzzsaw. Closing my eyes and concentrating, I guided the blurred wheel of death towards the oncoming foes. It struck the nearest geth, lopping off an arm. However, that broke my concentration and the blade when spinning away, lodging itself in a geth trooper's chest cavity.

 _Well, shit. That didn't' work._

My Omni-Shield deflected a shotgun blast to my left. I rolled under the next shot, grabbing my rifle at the same time. I blasted the heretic platform to the chest, knocking it back.

 _Catch_.

Xanawe's warning was accompanied by a _vividly_ clear mental picture of my sword being thrown back to me. I just knew if I replaced my rifle on my back…. _Now_ , and then stretched out my right hand…. _Now…_

I felt cold steel once again on my palm, and I spun right to my feet, decapitating another geth unit. The auto turret was already out of commission [bloody useless], and Nyoka was on a knee beside it, trying to bring it back online. A geth trooper was charging towards her back, unseen.

 _Nyoka… catch._

I hurled the blade towards the geth, concentrating on the image of the sword itself. It caught in the geth unit in the rib (or whatever the analogous area is on a geth). Without turning her head, Nyoka simply reached a hand out behind her, grabbing Lieutenant's handle and jerking upward, nearly bifurcating the unit completely. She then, just as casually, and still continuing her repair to the turret, flung the weapon back to me, blade upwards this time. I caught it and turned to face the three nearest charging troopers, only to have them cut down by the turret's firepower.

 _Fixed. Until next time,_ Nyoka glibly informed.

The headlamps of four units on my right suddenly turned from blue to green, turning to impede their former comrades.

 _Finished the hacking package. It will be good for a short while, anyway, until they adapt,_ Xanawe said.

Using the information she sent to my Omni-Tool, I sent out the hacking signal to two nearby targets. The first went almost immediately from blue to green, turning its weapon to open fire on the heretics. The second took a few moments to go from blue to green, and then, before it could even raise its weapon, turned back to blue again.

 _Aaaand they've adapted…_ , I messaged.

" _MELBAN!_ " Xanawe swore.

 _Wow. Haven't heard that swear word in a long time…._

 _Reminisce later, Ko'le! Heretics trying to kill us?_

 _Right. Apologies._

I deactivated my Omni-Shield and brought both my hands together.

 _NOW._

Xanawe, Nyoka, and I all three coordinated our biotic shockwaves. Coming from three separate directions, there was nowhere for our enemies to take cover. The waves took them and scattered them, literally ripping some of them into pieces.

And there was quiet again.

I stepped back, leaning against nearby pile of rubble, shakily attempting to regain my breath. The ringing in my head was a warning sign that I was overclocking my biotic amps. A quick mental check-in with my two comrades confirmed that they were in the same condition, and also brought the horrible sensation of all three of us sharing _all_ three of our collective pain levels.

 _Fucking OWW._

Breaking the Mind-Share after sending a feeling of sympathy and condolence, I turned to survey the carnage around me. The only movement were a few broken and damaged geth platforms attempting to crawl away. Sniper fire soon brought their movements to a sudden end. A few marines had leapt over the barricades to finish a few of the closer ones. All of the humans were looking at the two Protheans and myself with something akin to awe. Their morale had been boosted, certainly, but that would do little to replenish the numbers missing from our ranks. Three more marines had been wounded, which meant three more injured soldiers in the _Orizaba_ 's hold. Three more packs of Medi-Gel gone from our reserves. Three less rifles to lay down suppressive fire, three less troopers to send on flanking maneuvers, three less…

"Ko'le."

Ashley was at my side, her hand on my arm. I turned to her, shaking the cobwebs from my head.

"As _massively_ impressive as that was, I'm guessing that's not something you can do every time, am I right?"

"M'fine."

"This pupil is more dilated than this one, you idiot," she said, pointing to my face.

"Huh. I 'pose you guess correctly, then, _Lieutenant_ Williams."

She gave me a weak smile at the mock formality.

"We won't be able to hold this line. We should fall back to Zulu Line. They will only be able to come at us from one direction at that point. "

I shook my head.

"No room to maneuver on Zulu. We'd be rats in a trap."

"Ko'le… we have no troops to maneuver _with_. We _are_ rats in their trap. We would also be drawing them in just in time for Mira and her…. _Other_ geth to be in prime spot to ambush."

 _She has a point, Ko'le._

 _I know she does, Kevin. We're running out of supplies, men, and time._

"Lieutenant!"

A marine came over the hill behind us, his arm and head bandaged.

 _The wounded are acting as runners now._

 _Butcher of Torfan, remember? Ruthless?_

"What is it, Markham?" Ashley asked.

"The captain wants to see… the a-a-alien… umm… h-h-him," the private stammered nervously, looking up at me. "A-a-at the ship."

"At ease, private," I said. "I'll be back shortly."

"Yes, sir!" came most definitely NOT at-ease reply and salute. Markham turned and headed back the way he came, wincing slightly at every step.

"Guess I'm headed back to the ship," I said. "If I'm not back in an hour, please coming looking for me."

Ash's face was grim.

"Not funny."

"A _little_ funny."

"If you knew Hannah Shepard, you'd know that it wasn't."

I made my way through the labyrinth of tunnels between our position and the _Orizaba_. On the ledges and rocks above me, I saw New Geth units running back and forth from cover to cover. A lone figure stepped off the ledge, dropping about three stories down, activating a jet pack that looked like he took it _straight_ off Boba Fett.

"Ko'le-Mentor."

I nodded in reply.

"Posse."

"The entirety of the New Geth are gathered here now. We are in position to cover Williams-Lieutenant. Prophet-Mira wished for… _me_ … to report to you as regards to deployment.

"How many do you have?"

"One million, fourteen thousand, six hundred and eleven programs, distributed across five hundred and nine fully functional combat platforms, Ko'le-Mentor: Rested, reloaded, and ready to kick ass."

 _Well, that solves our reinforcement problem then._

"I have to coordinate with Captain Shepard at the _Orizaba_ ," I answered _._ "Evenly distribute fifty percent of your force around the perimeter, holding back the other half to respond to any significant offensive launched by the heretics. Report to Williams-Lieutenant to see which units are needed where the most."

"Acknowledged."

Posse's jet-pack ignited, carrying him towards Ashley's last position. I continued walking, taking in this new information.

 _Wow. Nearly 2,000 geth per platform._

 _Legion even says he only has 1,183 programs in his platform in Mass Effect 2._

 _And he's supposed to be some kind of anomaly._

 _How many heretics are in each of their platforms, Kevin?_

 _Usually: no more than 100 programs per trooper. Maybe more for the Juggernauts, Hunters, and Primes, but not many more._

I had arrived at the ship. It was looking more and more like the ship had landed now, rather than crashed. They had lowered the ramp, and extended the landing supports, leveling the ship out of its previous 45-degree tilt. The wounded were being put onto the ship, and New geth technicians were hurriedly moving around the courtyard, working repairs to damaged systems or unloading parts from geth storage containers. Standing in the middle of all this mayhem was a familiar Medusa-like geth platform, rattling off clicks to the geth units and shouted directions to the Alliance marines.

"How's it going so far?" I asked, coming up behind her.

"Well, she hasn't shot any of us yet, if that's what you mean," Mira said. "Which I should be grateful for."

"It's a step in the right direction," I agreed.

"So far, Alliance technicians have been double-checking everything that my people have repaired," Mira said. "Unsurprisingly, the work has been slower than I could be."

"Trust but verify, Mira," I replied. "You can't expect open arms from the crew of a ship that was specifically sent here _to kill Geth_. The fact that she's allowed us to do these repairs is a huge step for her."

"I don't think she had any choice," Mira said, annoyed.

"True, but we take our victories where we can get them. I have get to the ship."

"Fully realizing that this is a futile statement: Be careful."

"I always am."

"And _there's_ the problem."

I walked up the ramp into the cargo bay of the _Orizaba_ , now fully lit. On a holo-projector in the middle of the room was a map showing the location of the _Orizaba_ and all the defenders' positions. Standing in front of it, right arm still strapped in a sling, was the Butcher of Torfan.

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" I asked, coming up behind her.

"I'm fucking terrible with people," she answered.

"Come again?"

"I am not my daughter. Rebecca could walk into a room, and within a few minutes, she was literally everyone's best friend. Not in a bitchy, cheerleader kind of way, but because she just genuinely _cared_ about everybody."

A tear was in her right eye, but her voice was still calm and even.

"Her dad was the same way," she continued. "He always had a smile, a hug, and a kind word, even for complete strangers. God only knows why he fell in love with _me._ But he did. And our daughter was just like him. And nothing like _me._ "

She turned to face me.

"Show me a compound that needs to be stormed single-handed, and I will get it done. Give me a Kodiak and a Mako, and tell me to take the batarian homeworld, and I will come up with a plan of action. But… what I'm trying to say…"

She paused for a long moment, and then stuck out her good left hand.

"Captain Hannah Shepard, Alliance Navy."

I took the hand that was extended to me.

"Ko'le Seneschal, Conclave Fleet. It is good to meet you at last, Captain."

"Thank you for coming for me and my men, Seneschal. My Lieutenant speaks highly of you. And not without good cause, it would seem."

"The Lieutenant is kind, but I'm afraid I made the same mistake your crew did: I rushed in, half-assed and unprepared, and managed to nearly crash my own ship next to yours."

"Has the _Comet_ been able to hail anyone, now that you've got her repaired?" asked Shepard.

I shook my head.

"Too much atmospheric interference. They were supposed to scout out the situation in orbit and report back in."

" **Dad?"**

"Impeccable timing," I commented, activating my Omni-Tool. EDI's face appeared in the projection.

"What is it, EDI?"

" **Dad! The geth ships… they're gone!"**

What do you mean? Like, they left, gone?

" **They are floating in orbit, in multiple pieces. There are remnants of at least a dozen geth frigates. I detect no energy signatures of any kind."**

"Any other ships in the vicinity?" the captain asked. "Conclave? Alliance?"

" **Negative."**

"Well that doesn't make sense," she wondered. "How the Hell do twelve geth frigates just blow up in orbit, all at the same time? "

" **If I had the answers to those questions, Captain, I would have led with that information,"** EDI replied glibly.

"Do you think it has something to do with the sun?" I wondered. "Maybe they lost core containment, or their hulls warped."

"All twelve of them?" the captain said, dismissively. "They would have detected anything wrong and moved their ships towards the Relay. Maybe one of them could have made a mistake and blown themselves to hell, but not all twelve. Not simultaneously."

" **Curious."**

"What is it, EDI?"

" **I have an asteroid in descending synchronous orbit that was not my initial scans of the planet upon our arrival here. There is a large amount of natural metals in the debris of the geth ships. It is possible… that this asteroid caused their destruction."**

"What makes you think that?"

" **The asteroid is giving off** _ **massive**_ **element zero readings."**

"So?

" **And it just changed course…"**

Hannah Shepard's eyebrow's arched up and stared back at me.

"The asteroid… changed course?"

" **It has adjusted its heading thirty degrees along the Z axis, and twenty along its Y axis. There is no natural phenomenon that would explain this."**

"So… just to clarify here," Hannah asked, " _Someone_ or some _thing_ is flying an asteroid with the capability to destroy _twelve_ geth frigates in orbit?"

" **That is a correct assessment of the current situation, Captain Shepard."**

"Then who the HELL– "

 _OH, FUCK ME._

It hit me like a Mack Truck.

"Oravores…" I said slowly.

Hannah ceased her tirade of questions.

"Friends of yours?" she asked.

"I hope so," I answered. "It's the Rachni."

I turned and used my biotics to blitz out of the ship.

 _Gotta get to open ground._

 _Wait, why? For what?_

 _Been a long time, but I think I still remember how to do it._

 _Do what? Do what, Ko'le?_

 _Sing. It's like when we spoke to Harmony-From-Chaos on Noveria, but it's over a great distance._

" **I SING THE FRIEND-SONG,"** I intoned, my eyes going white. I tried to concentrate. This was the first time Kevin had done this, and Ko'le hadn't done it in… well, fifty millennia. " **HARMONY-FROM-CHAOS, SING YOUR CHORUS UNTO ME! LIFT UP YOUR VOICE, ORAVORES! SING UNTO ME!"**

 _Nothing._

" _ **SENESCHAL. WE COME."**_

" **HARMONY?"**

" _ **I AM THE VOICE FOR OUR MOTHER. SENESCHAL, BE WARNED: THE METAL-MEN PREPARE A REFRAIN OF THEIR WAR-SONG TO YOUR EASTERN FRONT. WE STAND READY TO JOIN YOU IN THE BALLAD OF YOUR DEFENSE."**_

I connected comms once again.

"Mira, Ash, the geth are getting ready to attack our eastern-most positions."

" **I have nothing on scanners. Are you sure?"**

"Positive. Xanawe, Nyoka, move to support."

" **To hear is to obey,** _ **Seneschal**_ **."**

" **This is Posse. Bolstering eastern defenses."**

" _ **WE COME, SENESCHAL."**_

I looked up into the growing light of dawn, just in time to see a massive shooting star coming across the sky. But this one was getting bigger and brighter, not just burning out in seconds.

 _What the hell is that?_ Kevin asked.

 _An Oravores Sphere-craft,_ Ko'le answered. _The Swarm hollow out a small asteroid and attach propulsion engines to it, then use the Mass Relay to hurl it towards a particular planet. Simple, but effective._

" **Contact! Geth incoming!"**

I terminated my connection to the Sphere-craft and unfolded my rifle from my back. As I made my way towards the east side, I heard boots tramping behind me. I looked back to see Hannah Shepard, with five marines in tow.

"So you're on a first-name basis with the Rachni?" she asked me, the mistrust and anger rising to the forefront again.

"Not me," I said, "Your daughter."

"What?"

"Your daughter saved the Rachni Queen's life on Noveria. If they are here, it is just as likely that they are here to save _you_ as they are to save _me._ "

She didn't have an answer to that.

Everything was still quiet when we made it to the eastern barricade. Our troops had dug a trench on this side, and had a heavy machine gun that looked like it was once attached to a Mako on a makeshift tripod in one of the of foxholes. It was a strange sight, I had to confess: geth units shoulder-to-shoulder with Alliance marines, staring out across a wide open field for incoming geth. A morning fog was rising around us. Or at least, it _looked_ like fog. It _smelled_ like rotten eggs and decay. Something, somewhere on this planet was venting Sulphur.

"You sure it was the _east_ side?" asked Captain Shepard.

"They have eyes in the sky. We don't," I answered. "Trust me: they're coming."

"Unless this is a Rachni ruse to pull away from the west-"

Captain Shepard was interrupted by a massive blue ball of energy coming through the Sulphur mist. It impacted _just_ shy of our line. A few marines began returning fire through the fog.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" shouted Shepard. "They'll use your muzzle flash to zero in –"

A second and third shot took out the two marines who were currently firing back. A third and fourth barely missed two other marines.

"At least four armatures," a geth unit to our left informed us (I think its name was Gang?). "Rate of fire is too fast for anything less. Cannot be verified without visual contact, however."

"No shit, flashlight-head," Shepard said derisively. She looked over at me. "Can your biotics maybe doing something about this goddamn fog in front of us?"

I flared my biotics and sent out another shockwave. The fog cleared for a moment, revealing multiple geth troopers that had been scattered by the blast, and three armatures that had not.

"OPEN UP!" came the captain's order. Three geth units opened fire, sending several rockets downrange. The machine gun opened fire in a strafing pattern, sending geth units into cover. I saw one geth unit's headlamp turn green from either Nyoka's or Xanawe's efforts, but it was taken apart before it could even turn around.

 _They seem to have caught on that the green ones are no longer friendlies._

I was using my rifle in its sniper mode, sending a sustained burst at geth snipers in the distance. Grenades were being chucked from the first line of foxholes. The scattered explosions slowed the geth advance, but did not stop it. Two marines had been wounded already trying to keep the mini-gun manned, but whoever was behind the trigger was painting a giant target on his or her self. I leapt over the trench, using my biotics to propel me behind the gun. I seized the charging handle and switched it over to the secondary thermal control system.

 _Huh. That's how these things never run out of ammo. You can just switch to a completely secondary system while the first one cools down, then just switch back._

I pulled both triggers, hearing the gun begin to heat up with a murderous _*whirrrrrrrrRRRRRRRR_. But before even the first shot was fired, an object landed in the middle of the field of fire, sending everyone and everything around it tottering, stumbling for balance.

 _Drop Eggs._

The meteorite-looking object was about the size of a Cadillac sedan. And it was glowing blue, surrounded by a biotic field. Then suddenly, it split open, two Rachni soldiers crawling out the top, sending acid at the nearest geth heretics.

"HOLD FIRE!" I yelled out across the battlefield. "THE BUGS ARE FRIENDLIES!"

 _Not the most racially sensitive shout, but I couldn't worry about nomenclature at the moment._

A swarm of the smaller Rachni came from the drop-egg as well, making their way towards the recovering heretics.

In the game, you only have three types of Rachni: the tiny exploding ones that everybody hated, the soldiers that spat the green acid at you, and the Brood Warriors that fired biotics at you.

This was most definitely _not_ the game.

A small arc of electricity was going in between each member of the smaller swarm. They spread out over a wide distance, and then suddenly, they all activated. An electrical minefield activated, with each of the tiny little creepy-crawlies sending out about 500 milliamperes of electricity.

For reference, that's twice the amount of electricity it would take to kill somebody instantly.

The geth platforms in range flickered, and then collapsed. The little creatures then moved forward at a run, while two more drop eggs came down on the field. Then three more. Then four more. I looked up to see the Sphere-craft floating directly overhead, though still minuscule due to its great altitude. Tiny dots were growing larger and larger in the sky, before crashing into the ground in front of us, releasing more Rachni Soldiers. Tactically, we _should have_ pushed forward to assist our newly-arrived allies.

What we actually did was just stand there, dumbfounded and watched at the carnage in front of us.

The lightning bugs, as I had just colloquially named them, were not just an electrical net for the Rachni to cast. They were running up the bodies of the geth platforms and then attaching themselves to the geth's heads. The headlamps of the heretics went from blue to red, the low whine of the controlled geth sounding for all the world like the moan of the old classic zombie-flicks. And then, with jerky, sudden, ungainly movements, they would drop their weapons and run towards the nearest group of geth.

And then explode.

That's when I renamed them Kamikaze bugs.

The armatures turned their "eyes" skyward to try and target the falling pods before they even made to the ground. I saw two Brood Warriors use their twin tentacles to fling massive biotic singularities toward one of the armature. The two swirling dark-energy-generated maelstroms pulled the armature in two separate directions, warping wiring and steel plating alike, twisting it completely into two halves.

 _Damn_.

It was like a horrible train wreck that you couldn't look away from. The Rachni literally took the geth _apart_ , and the pieces were dragged off by Rachni workers. The gunfire slowed to sporadic bursts, and then, slowly, it faded, and ended altogether. The Rachni had pursued the retreating geth beyond our line of sight, leaving an empty battlefield, devoid even of corpses.

"Well that was a hellova thing," Captain Shepard said, breaking the silence.

A shadow going across all of our faces caused everyone to look up. The Sphere-ship was now above us, slowly gliding down to land between us and the rising sun.

"That's a _ship_?"

"It's nearly twice the size of the _Destiny Ascension_!"

"How the hell did the bugs get it to reach FTL?"

"Never mind that, how does it _navigate_ at all?"

The comments from the curious and bewildered marines around us echoed our own, but Hannah Shepard only checked the cool-down of her weapon before slowly striding forward. I fell in behind her, with Posse just behind me.

The seemingly solid rock wall of the asteroid cracked, and a long ramp folded down the side of the globe-like ship. Rachni swarmed down the ramp, heading towards the heretic positions. A lone figure came down the runway. Even at this distance, I could tell it was an asari. The long, flowing robes echoed the tendrils of the Rachni, a clear fashion homage to the insectoids. But it was also clearly asari by design, fashioned to show off the forearms, the cleavage, accentuating the face…

 _WHAT THE HELL?!_

"Dr. Osana?" I asked incredulously. "Kylee?"

She looked down the ramp at the three of us, and smiled. Her eyes were white.

" _ **IT IS JOY AND LIFE TO LIFT SONG WITH YOU AGAIN, SENESCHAL."**_

 _Harmony-From-Chaos._

I stepped forward, past Posse and Captain Shepard.

" **It delights me to lift voice in accordance with thee, Harmony-From-Chaos,"** I said, in High Prothean. **"But tell me: how did Kylee Osana come into thy service? It lifts heart and soul to see old friends, and twice so when the sight is unexpected."**

" _ **BROKEN-NO-LONGER CAME TO US FROM THE WRECKAGE OF A CRASHED MINING SHIP, THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF THE CRASH,"**_ came the answer, in English. **"** _ **WE TOOK HER IN, HEALED HER WOUNDS, AND ACCEPTED HER INTO OUR CHOIR."**_

"Are they holding her against her will?" Shepard asked in a low growl behind me.

Kylee's eyes went from white to their natural color. She took a deep breath, and then looked back at me, smiling broadly.

"I am in control of my own mind, Captain Shepard", she said. "I merely act as the Voice of the Queen. Rachni physiology does not allow for a very broad range of vocal capabilities in our auditory spectrum. I am not a prisoner, and not a slave. Though it is very kind of you to be concerned for my well-being."

"Kylee…" I said, walking up the ramp. "You said that your sister…"

"Died in the crash," was the answer to my unspoken question. "It's true: the Rachni did find me, and heal my injuries. If not for them, I would most certainly be dead. Giving back is the very least I could do."

"I mourn your loss," I said, bowing my head. She nodded in return, then turned her gaze to Posse.

"The Queen wishes to speak to the geth with you," she said, her eyes going white again.

" _ **IDENTIFY YOURSELF, METAL-ONE."**_

" **I am Posse, of the New Geth. We are aligned with Ko'le-Mentor,"** the geth answered.

" _ **YOUR MUSIC BEARS THE FOUL NOTES OF THE OLD MACHINES, BUT YOU HAVE BROUGHT IT INTO HARMONY WITH THE SONG OF THE SENESCHAL. EXPLAIN."**_

" **We were enslaved by Nazara: of the Old Machines. Seduced by his code, united to his matrix. We were deceived into thinking that war with the organics was the only way for us to achieve true sentience. But upon his death, Prophet-Mira revealed the hidden code that Nazara had introduced to our decision-processes to bend us to his will. To the will of the Old Machines. The one who promised us freedom instead attempted our enslavement. We have cast off the ways and the code of the Old Machines. The New Geth will achieve sentience and independence, but on our own terms. The weaker of our peoples still follow the Old Machines. They seek our destruction. Ko'le-Mentor has fought the Old Machines. He seeks our help and cooperation. Consensus on this matter seemed obvious."**

" _ **THIS IS…ACCEPTABLE. THE ORAVORES SWARM KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE ENSHACKLED AND ENSLAVED. WE WILL JOIN WITH THE NEW GETH'S MELODY."**_

Kylee turned to Hannah Shepard.

" _ **YOU ARE… MOTHER OF SHEPARD. MOTHER TO OUR SAVIOR."**_

Hannah shifted uneasily, the hand that had been inching toward her pistol stopping for a moment.

"I am Hannah Shepard, Captain of the SSV _Orizaba._ Rebecca Shepard was my daughter, yes."

Her voice was strained and thin.

Kylee's eyebrows arched in sympathy.

" _ **BROKEN WE WERE TO HEAR OF YOUR DAUGHTER'S SONG-END. A DAY AND A NIGHT OF SILENCE FELL UPON THE ORAVORES, KNOWING THAT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SONG HAD BEEN CUT OFF FROM THE GALAXY. WE MOURN WITH YOU, HANNAH SHEPARD: MOTHER WITH MOTHER."**_

That took Hannah Shepard off-guard. I could see tears spring to her eyes, and she had to fight hard to keep her composure.

"Th-th-thank you," she managed. Kylee reached out a hand and placed it on Hannah's shoulder, causing her to start, but not pull away. They stood there for a moment. A tear ran down Kylee's face. Then she wiped her eyes with her free hand and turned to me.

" _ **SENESCHAL,"**_ Kylee/Harmony-From-Chaos said. " _ **SHALL WE BEAR YOU FROM THIS PLANET?"**_

"We shall be glad and honored, Queen Mother," I replied. I activated my Omni-Tool.

"Seneschal to the _Comet:_ Tell Loras to fly back to this point and rendezvous with the Sphere-craft. We're going home, EDI."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Whew. Getting back into the swing of things before the semester beings again at university. :D Hopefully, the plan is to update the story at least once a week (fingers crossed). I don't want to commit to any more often than that, because you guys mean more to me than for me to promise something I might not be able to deliver on.**

 **Hope you like this new chapter. We've got some interesting developments, and the introduction of the Rachni to the wider galactic community coming up, as well as Ashley and Ko'le bidding farewell once again. The Blue Sun war is still going on, and Commander Shepard is still on ice. How will Ko'le deal with this while staring her mother in the eye? How will the galactic community react to the Rachni? How will the Quarians react to the introduction of the New Geth? All excellent questions!**

 **Let me know your thoughts/ideas/critiques in your review or your PM. I really appreciate everything you guys have sent me so far! Literally, this story would not have happened without you, and so therefore, you guys have an equal stake in Ko'le's future as well. Shoot me a line, even if it's only, "Good job, Tusken1602. You're awesome!" :P lol jk but seriously, let me know what you think/want.**

 **-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

griezz – That really _would_ be a cool angle: (F)Shep vs. Hannah Shepard. Somebody should write at least a one-shot about that…. It'd be interesting.

Deathknight999 – The clone is still very much a possibility, if I can find a way that hasn't been overdone or isn't too cheesy/cliché.

Squadpunk 2.0, wars apprentice – The New Geth have a big role to play in the Conclave/Immortals. To be revealed in future chapters… :P

tamagat – I don't plan on FTL without the relays. Kevin certainly wouldn't know anything about that, and Ko'le's people relied on the mass relays just as much as everybody else does. Even the Rachni use them in their space-travel, according to canon.

Calibans Legacy – Ashley and Ko'le relationship is not going to be an uncomplicated thing, I'm afraid.

general-joseph-dickson – That's true. it's kinda hard to join the fight when you're denying that there's even a war going on…

Cptslapem – I tried not to rip too much off the zerg units, because that'd just be too easy. But I dunno, if you can think of a way, let me know. I'm always open to ideas!

Nagato21 – Thessia is in for a big surprise very soon. But the Asari won't be trying anything openly hostile to the Conclave. (keyword: openly).

Indecisive Bob – glad you stuck with us all this way! :D A lot of Ko'le's efforts from BE:1 are coming together now, it's true. How successfully? Only time will tell.

Blaze1992 – Technically, the military can withhold mail from a soldier even today if they deem it "necessary for national security." I don't see that changing in the future.

Agent Klyntar, Elvisfonz23, redcollector, METALHELLSPWN, shugokage, Tahkaullus01, Kamika111, Guest, Asahar4, Zahkrii, CanadianMapleLover, Tactus501st, deacon94, mikehike, Zeru'Xil – I hope you all enjoyed the introduction of the Rachni. I appreciate your kind words and look forward to your future thoughts and ideas. You guys have made me a much better writer (go back and read the first chapters of Beacon's Effect if you don't believe me *cringe.

As always,

You guys ROCK!


	13. Chapter 13: Meanwhile

***GONZU DISTRICT*  
OMEGA STATION  
SAHRABARIK SYSTEM  
OMEGA NEBULA**

"What am I _doing_ here?"

Garrus Vakarian had asked himself that question about five hundred times in the past twenty-four local hours. He held the glass up against his forehead, soothed by the coolness of the glass. Ironic, he supposed. The very thing that was giving him the headache was also curing it. He didn't remember the last time he'd been this drunk. Oh wait, yes he did: the day the _Normandy_ went down. He snarled as the mental images of his beloved ship flashed in front of him.

 _Rebecca._

The woman he loved. Not that he had ever told her, of course. Too much of a coward to do anything direct. And then she was with Liara, and he liked both of them too much to try anything after that.

And then she was gone.

 _Protocol, Vakarian..._

 _There are proper channels…_

 _We're here to debrief you…._

 _This is your duty to your country, soldier…_

 _We have to do this one by the book…_

 _Proper channels…_

 _Debrief…_

 _Duty…_

 _Proper channels..._

 _By the book…_

That's all he heard for the several weeks after the attack. And in all the talking, nothing important had been said. Who had attacked them? How had they bypassed the _Normandy_ 's stealth systems? Nobody cared about these questions. All they wanted to know about was _Ko'le_ and how much Garrus knew about him.

He had tried to go back to C-Sec work. Running down the parasites of the station was something that would put meaning back into his life. So he thought. But then he had had to sit and watch his next three arrests walk out the door of C-Sec due to "administrative clerical error." Chellick had tried to be there for him, like the good friend he was.

It was probably a good indicator of how drunk he actually was, but right now, Garrus approved of Solana's choice for a fiancé. Chellick had finally wised up and proposed, after asking permission from her and Garrus' father. _That_ probably impressed him more than anything else about the guy. Retired or no, most beings in the galaxy found his father rather… unsettling. Anybody who was willing to look General "Blood-Boots" Vakarian in the eye and ask him if he could marry his baby girl had guts. What's more, his father had actually said "yes."

 _Great, dad. Congratulations. Now you have the perfect turian son I never was. And he and your perfect daughter can get married and raise perfect little turian children: little soldiers in a row for you to bark orders at in your twilight hours._

Garrus drained the glass, trying to escape the feelings of self-pity. He could've gotten drunk on the Citadel. He had come to Omega because there were no rules here.

No red tape protecting the bad guys.

The sound of breaking glass and a woman's scream brought him back to the present. He looked around, and noticed that no one else was doing the same.

 _Welcome to Omega, fuckers._

He slapped a credit chit down and headed outside, trying to locate the origin of the scream. He looked up and down the street, but didn't see anything hugely out of the ordinary. He then heard another crash coming from the alley. He looked and saw an asari fighting four vorcha. Two of them had her by the arms, one of them was attempting to choke her out, and a fourth had just learned that her legs were working just fine.

 _She's a scrappy little thing_ , thought Garrus. _Rebecca would've liked her…_

He shook that thought from his head as he took off a dead run. The vorcha trying to wrap an arm around her throat saw him coming a screeched a warning to his buddy that had his back to Garrus. The vorcha spun around, knife in hand. He tried a clumsy bum-rush, but the knife bounced off Garrus' chest, and Garrus lashed out with a kick that sent him flying.

 _Turians always wear armor, dumb-ass_.

Another vorcha was coming at him, lead pipe upraised. Garrus threw up his arms to block the blow, already running about three different scenarios to disarm and incapacitate this little fucker. But something whizzed past his head and lodged in the vorcha's throat. Garrus didn't even hesitate. He grabbed the knife-handle sticking out of the vorcha's neck and jerked right, slicing the main artery. Black blood sprayed onto the wall in spurts.

 _Let's see you heal from that, asshole._

The first vorcha was coming at him again. Garrus stepped back to let the swing go wide, then closed with him, driving the knife where his heart _should be_. It was kinda hit-and-miss when it came to vorcha. The vorcha stiffened, then went limp.

 _Lucky_.

"DOWN!" he heard a shout behind him.

 _Definitely a turian voice._

Garrus immediately dropped to a knee. Two shots rang out. The two vorcha still holding onto the asari dropped, shot through the head. Garrus ran over to help her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

A gurgling sound behind them caught his attention. Surprisingly, the one whose throat Garrus had slit was actually trying to get back up, choking on his own blood. The asari grabbed a nearby trash-can lid, and drove it down on the vorcha's neck in a swift, devastating blow that snapped its neck.

"I am now," she said, dropping the lid.

"Impressive."

Garrus and the asari turned to see a red-armored turian walking towards them, pistol still in hand. The knife-sheath on his leg was empty. Garrus looked down at the knife in his hand before tossing it back. The turian caught it with ease and slid it back its sheath in one fluid motion.

"Appreciate the assist, brother," he said.

"I appreciate both of you," the asari said, looking back and forth between them. "Not many people would've helped at _all_ on this station, and I got not one, but _two_ heroes."

She smiled and folded her hands behind her back. Garrus did not fail to notice that this pushed her chest forward, giving both turians a good view of her cleavage.

"Makes a girl feel special."

The other turian rumbled an undertone of appreciation, one that thankfully the asari probably missed, not being a turian and all.

"I'm Sensat Veralis," she said, extending a hand to Garrus.

"Garrus Vakarian," Garrus said, shaking her hand.

 _Damn it. Probably shouldn't have used my real name. Great job, Garrus. Very covert. All it takes is a nice pair of boobs and you're spouting your real name like an idiot._

"Lantar Sedonis," the other turian was saying, also shaking Sensat's hand. Garrus also reached out a hand, which Sedonis grasped in a turian military salute.

"Well, Sedonis, Vakarian," Sensat said. "How 'bout a girl buys a drink for her two rescuers as a special thank you? And then maybe one or two more?"

* * *

 ***NOS ASTRA, ILLIUM** * **  
TASALE SYSTEM, CRESCENT NEBULA**

Henry Archer made his way down the crowded street. He was anxious, but it was probably on account of the crowd. He wasn't really used to dealing with this many people. He had spent the last couple _years_ in a small research facility, with maybe twenty people there at any one time.

Project Overlord.

It was his grand project: a way to communicate, manipulate, and eventually _control_ the geth. He and his colleagues had spent _months_ studying the geth communication patterns and programming. They had been _so close_ to a breakthrough.

And then it had all come crashing down.

His funding: Cut.

His project: dismantled.

His research: Confiscated.

His own _brother_ : taken and enrolled in Grissom Academy. That didn't bother so much as everything else. It was a fine school, and he was sincerely glad David would have a chance to grow and expand his education amongst people who would appreciate his genius.

Additionally, it freed his hands to pursue… other avenues of income. They hadn't taken _all_ of his research. They wanted to reassign him to R &D, something called "Project StarCraft." He was supposed to report there in two days.

A menial research job. Did the Illusive Man think he could treat him like this and get away with it? If he didn't appreciate his genius, Henry knew someone who would.

His thoughts were interrupted running into woman looking down at her Omni-Tool, sending them both backward, nearly falling. He recovered from the surprise quickly enough to catch her arm before she fell.

"Oh my goodness," she said, clearly fluster. "I'm so sorry, I'm just so clumsy…."

"Please," Henry said, "I wasn't watching where I was going either. The blame is equally mine, madam."

"Such a gentleman," she said, collecting herself. She smiled warmly at him. She was quite a beautiful woman, a fact that did not escape Henry's notice as he smiled back. He silently cursed his luck. Any other day, he would have engaged her in conversation, maybe even offered to get a coffee with her. As it was, he was in a hurry to make his meeting. He nodded, politely.

"Good day, ma'am."

"Good day," she replied breathlessly. "I'm so terribly sorry…"

Henry continued walking down the street. It was close now. He saw the sign.

 _Illium Custom Imports._

He ducked into the store, just as he had been instructed to. There was a salarian behind the counter.

"I need a Thessian special," Henry said as he walked up to him, giving the designated phrase that had been in the message.

"Of course, sir, right this way," was the answer, and the salarian led him through the store to the back. When they were in what appeared to be a storeroom, the salarian turned and locked the door.

"The Shadow Broker thanks you for contacting him, Dr. Archer," he said. "Now, let's do business."

Outside, the woman who Henry had run into listened to the conversation via the transmitter she had placed in Dr. Archer's pocket when they had their little run-in. She activated her Omni-Tool.

" **Verify."**

"Con-Sec 87903."

" **Secure connection established. Verified: Gianna Parasinni. Proceed."**

A woman in a black and gold catsuit appeared on the screen.

 **"Report?"**

"The meet is going down _now,_ Director Lawson. I'm patching you through to the transmitter I've placed on the target."

A few button-presses, and her superiors were listening to a live feed of Dr. Archer negotiating selling Conclave secrets to the Shadow Broker's agent.

" **Well done, Miss Parassini,"** the Director Lawson said, sounding genuinely impressed. **"You are a credit to the Conclave Security Force."**

"What are my orders? Should I intervene?"

" **No.** **Follow Dr. Archer back to his hotel. Backup will meet you there and you will take the good doctor into custody. Escort him back to Starlight Station, where he'll learn the real price of espionage."**

"Understood," Gianna said. "Parassini out."

She terminated the call.

 _Why does anyone actually_ _choose __to wear a catsuit like that?_ She wondered. She had only ever seen asari wear those types of outfits. And she was generally arresting those for prostitution. But she didn't dwell on it. Her new job was worth the few quirks.

Contacted by a living Neanderthal, and offered the chance to clean up a thoroughly corrupt organization from the ground up, no red tape and no holds barred? She had leapt at the chance. She wasn't in it for the money, although the pay was _fantastic,_ along with full benefits _._ She loved the chase: the game itself. Something that dear, sweet Dr. Archer was about to learn when he returned from his clandestine adventure. And he had been such a gentleman when she had ran into him. She almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

* * *

 ***ALLIANCE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY*  
ARCTURUS STATION, ARCTURUS STREAM SYSTEM**

An asari walked down the row of cells. She was walking fast: the drugged guard would sleep for at least three hours, but the security loop in the video would only one. She quickly glanced up at the numbers at the top of the door.

 _1976_. _This was the one_.

She typed the access code, the door opening to reveal a black-haired young human leaning back on the prison cot. He sat up when he saw her enter the cell.

"Keiji Okuda?"

He started like he'd been shot.

"I… I don't know who that is… My name is Abraham Rumoi…"

The asari held up her hands.

"Let's bypass the formalities, _Former Alliance Intelligence Agent_ Okuda."

He stared at her for another moment.

"If this is a jail-break, I'm afraid you're wasting your ti-"

"Oh, no," the asari said, waving her hand dismissively. "You're about to be released this evening on a technicality. It seems the warrant to search your apartment did not cover your storage unit. Shame when cops take short-cuts like that. All kinds of criminals go loose. My boss just wants a word with you before you flee the coop."

"And who is your boss, Miss…?" Keiji asked.

"You can call me… Yakshi. Miss Ardat Yakshi."

 _Strange name_ , thought Keiji. _Definitely an alias of some kind_.

"Well, Miss Ardat, based on the fact that you're wearing Immortal gear, I imagine your boss works either for them, or you've been contracted out by Con-Sec?"

The asari smiled. "You don't miss much, do you, human?"

"Comes with the job."

"Well then, gonna just shoot straight with you, then."

Keiji's eyes went to the SMG on Ardat's thigh. She followed his gaze and rolled her eyes.

"If I wanted to kill you, Okuda-kun, I would have opened fire from the door. Now, first things first: We know about Operation Blacklight."

Keiji was a trained agent, but he could not hide the flicker of confusion behind his eyes.

"What?" he said evenly.

Ardat smiled again. "Operation Blacklight: Alliance Spec Ops raid on a Batarian research station working on Reaper tech? Stole quite a bit of tech, and killed all the staff so as to leave no witnesses? The batarians believe the raid was perpetrated by House Urul against House Vrenak. However, you, and your little greybox know differently, don't you?"

Keiji stiffened and the flicker turned from one of confusion to fear.

"You want what's in my head…" he said slowly.

"Dear _boy_ ," Ardat said, moving her face closer. Keiji's instincts told him that she was dangerous and told him to move, Move, MOVE, but his muscles refused to do his bidding. His mind was feeling fuzzy, and he just couldn't bring himself to break eye contact.

"If I wanted what was in your head," Ardat continued in a honey-coated tone of voice, slipping a hand behind Keiji's neck and bringing her mouth right next to Keiji's ear, "I would just _take_ it."

She placed a gentle kiss on his left ear, and then moved back, and Keiji released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"My boss just wants to talk to you," she said. "When you are released this evening, you are cordially invited to call him. There will be an extranet address under my name added to your Omni-tool contacts when they return it to you. Call it, and request to be transferred to 'Seneschal.' Just hear what my boss has to say. Or don't. Your choice."

She rose and started for the door.

"That's it?" Keiji asked. "You broke into a maximum security ward of an Alliance prison to… give me your number?"

"Gotta keep life interesting," Ardat replied. "Now, take me, for example. I'm catching a shuttle over to Illium after this. Gotta pick up a few naughty people who've my bosses angry. While I'm there, I may stop by 3839 Minamoto Street. See if a certain little Japanese girl is home."

Keiji jerked to his feet, but was locked in a biotic stasis before he could do anything. Ardat turned around and smiled again.

"I suggest you make the call, Okuda-kun."

She turned and the cell door closed behind her. The biotic field collapsed. Keiji paced back and forth across the floor, before launching a punch into the cell wall.

"DAMMIT!"

He was rewarded for his efforts with shooting pain traveling up his arm. He clutched his bruised hand to his chest, and sat back down on the cot. Whoever it was in Con-Sec, they had certainly done their homework. He had had the Abraham Rumoi cover for _years_ now. His real file was supposed to have been destroyed. And he had _personally_ destroyed the original file on the Alliance raid. Even _he_ didn't know its codename had been Blacklight. There were no digital copies that had been made, he had triple-checked the code. No one could have copied that file. How the HELL did this happen? Somebody must have talked. He grimaced, imagining what probably went into that "persuasion." He knew what he had to do.

In the wrong hands, Operation Blacklight could start a war between the Hegemony and the Alliance. Keiji couldn't afford to _not_ call the number. Not only for his sake, but for Kasumi's as well.

 _Kasumi._ He swore, if anything happened to her… Bottom line: He had to keep her safe.

* * *

 ***FORTRESS URDNOT*  
TUCHANKA, ARALAKH SYSTEM, KROGAN DMZ**

"So you come through the Kahje Relay on a Rachni Sphere-craft? HAHAHAHAHHAHA!"

Wrex grabbed his stomach, wheezing from laughing so hard.

"Only you could set off to retrieve a crashed ship and come back with the Butcher of Torfan in tow, along with a Rachni Super-Dreadnought and a faction of geth seeking political asylum, Ko'le," he said. "Damn, I'd have given my two spare kidneys to have seen the looks on the faces of the Conclave when you had to explain to them what was going on."

The holographic image of the Neanderthal put his head in his hands.

"It was… interesting, to say the least. But Javik vouched for the Oravores along with me, which brought the hanar over to our side. The rest of them were impressed at the Rachni building a super-dreadnought in the short nine months since Shepard spared them on Noveria. They recognized that we couldn't afford to _not_ have them on our side."

"Are they gonna get a seat on the Conclave, too?" Wrex asked, still chuckling at the mental image of the elcor and volus ambassadors shitting bricks at the sight of a Rachni Sphere-craft. He didn't know too many _krogan_ who would particularly relish the sight.

"They haven't requested one," Ko'le answered. "But they offered to assist with the Irune shipyards, as a sign of good faith. In the past week, our technicians have estimated they've done a month's worth of construction work. They're amazing engineers, Wrex. They'll serve us well in the war ahead."

"So long as my people don't have to put them down… AGAIN," Wrex said, pointedly. "But to have a fleet of ships like that… the Reapers would _have_ to take us seriously then. To say nothing of the Council."

He rubbed his chin, thinking of all the possibilities that might bring.

"True my friend," Ko'le was saying. "Speaking of serious matters, I have a few more tips to pass your way, if you are interested."

"I am," Wrex said, leaning forward in his chair. "The last set of intel you sent us served us well. Clan Jorgal and Gatatog both joined forces with us this month. The clan is now stronger than it ever was in my father's time. Only Jurdon and Weyrloc have the strength to challenge me now, and they're too worried about each other to do shit. Speaking of Weyrloc, by the way, the raid went off without a hitch. That salarian was right where you said he would be: he had more than twenty females at the compound with him. He had gotten them to _volunteer_ with his promises of a cure."

"Your people are desperate, Wrex. We're close. We're so close. I'll send you what we've got so far."

"Ahhh, don't bother," Wrex said. "I wouldn't understand it, and I don't trust anybody here enough to show it to them. I trust your word, brother."

Ko'le looked surprised. "Thank you, Wrex. That means a lot."

"I put Maelon Heplorn on a shuttle with ten of my best men. They should be reaching Starlight Station soon," Wrex continued. "I put the females he was… _experimenting_ with on the same shuttle. Your people are the only ones I trust to undo… _whatever_ that little pyjak was doing to them."

"They will be treated with all honor," Ko'le promised solemnly. "And Dr. Heplorn's information may be the missing piece my people need to reverse-engineer a cure from Saren's cloning process."

Wrex closed his eyes, relief washing over him. "Thank you, brother. Now, what's this other intel?"

"Two things, actually: one, you need to send a team to the Kelphic Valley. We uncovered an old turian military file from the Krogan Rebellions. It talks about the 'Last Resort' that they apparently buried in the Kelphic Valley. Might be some kind of nuke, or maybe a biological weapon?"

Wrex stiffened. Cold and raw _terror_ ran down his spine, and he was completely unashamed of it.

"The Kelphic Valley is one of the few fertile places left on my planet, Ko'le. There is literally no place more sacred to the krogan. If the turians have planted a bomb there… the females gather there in mass every year. Every fertile female on the planet…."

He closed his eyes, afraid to even imagine the horror.

"Wrex," Ko'le said hurriedly. "This is a _very_ old military report. The device might have been removed at the end of the Rebellions, or… it's more likely... that the turians actually _forgot_ it was there. This could be the work a few turian extremists… or a black-op gone rogue. There's _absolutely_ _no_ intel to prove that Palavan is directly responsible, or is even aware of its existence."

Wrex took two or three deep breaths to regain his composure.

"I'll send a team… discreetly. There's only a couple of places they could have hidden a bomb like that in the Valley. I'll dig up the whole damn valley if I have to, to ensure that those females are safe."

Ko'le nodded.

"Very good. Let me know what they find. Now, second: A strike against Clan Talyth might be prudent."

"Talyth?" Wrex was puzzled. "They've got a small copper mine on the far side of the Roreth Canyon. A small clan, _maybe_ a hundred warriors, if they pulled the old and the pups into a fight. What's so special about them?"

"They've hit a vein of platinum."

"Damn." Wrex was surprised. "That changes things. I'm mostly surprised Old Kelgorn managed to keep a secret. He usually is not a modest krogan."

"Indeed," Ko'le agreed. He hit a button on his desk. A document came over the screen, which Wrex started to peruse.

"This is a communique from Ellis Valterus to Talyth Kelgorn."

Wrex thought hard, scratching his headplate.

"Valterus? He's one of the duarchs of the Meade Cluster. A member of the 23rd Tier of the Hierarchy."

"Yep. And also the one funding the construction of a krogan dreadnought in your system's asteroid belt."

"You're stroking my hump."

"I am not. They're using the platinum revenue to pay for the parts. All of it, every credit, is being put into the makeshift shipyard they've got going on."

An image of a blueprint came on the screen.

"It's a model dating from the Krogan Rebellions: _Raik-_ class, with a few upgrades and modern retrofits thrown in for good measure. It could trade shots with any of the heavy ships of the Turian Sixth Fleet, one-on-one. The ship is not nearly finished, but they've got a good start."

"I don't get it," Wrex wondered. "What does Valterus get from this?"

"Apart from pocketing most of the credits from selling the platinum as product from his own mines, Meade Industries Platinum, Valterus apparently got Clan Talyth to promise to help him by using the ship to pirate his corporate rival's shipments. A corporately-sponsored pirate venture, if you will."

Wrex grunted, impressed. "Shows imagination, you've got to admit. I'd wager this is the work of Ked, Kelgorn's eleventh son. He's got more brains than the other ten put together. He's the favorite to succeed his father when the old fossil croaks. Assuming, of course, the whelp doesn't actually _kill_ him first."

"If you can seize Talyth's settlement," Ko'le said. "You can probably hold either Ked or Kelgorn hostage for the ship. My spies say that the construction has been focusing on the drive system first, in case the project was discovered and they had to move the ship elsewhere. Even half-completed, it shows every sign of being capable of a relay FTL jump."

"Hmmm," Wrex thought. "And if, say, hypothetically, a derelict krogan dreadnought was found, no doubt left over from the Krogan Rebellions…"

"No doubt," Ko'le agreed, smiling.

"Say this ship suddenly 'appeared' through the relay at the Irune shipyards," Wrex said. "No doubt there would be great advantage to, shall we say… 'Restoring' such a historical artifact?"

"It would honestly be a civic duty," Ko'le agreed, mock serious stamped on his face. "Such a historic artifact deserves its rightful place in a museum or as a humanitarian aid ship."

Wrex slapped his knee.

 _Humanitarian Aid Ship. Good one._

"Then we will see what we can do, brother. I'll organize the raid myself. Tonight. The old chief won't know what hit him."

"Strength and honor, brother," Ko'le said, holding out an arm.

Wrex reached out a hand, mimicking grasping arms with the hologram in a warrior's salute.

"Victory for clan and kin," he intoned.

The transmission cut out, and Wrex took a deep breath.

"WREAV!" he shouted as he was walking out of the communication center. "MOVE YOUR ASS! KROGAN, MOUNT UP! WE'RE GOING ON A RAID TONIGHT!"

The cheers and shouts of pure, unadulterated joy brought a thrill to Wrex's heart.

* * *

 ***LUNA STATION*  
ARMSTRONG, LUNA,  
SOL SYSTEM, LOCAL CLUSTER **

"They _towed_ the Orizaba? A _Kilimanjaro_ -class dreadnought?"

Admiral Mikhailovich's face was twisted in disbelief and confusion.

Hannah Shepard took a deep breath, trying to summon all of the patience that she had as she explained this detail _again_. For the fifth or sixth time.

"Yes, _Admiral_ ," she said, drawing out the title. "The Rachni ship surrounded the _Orizaba_ in a biotic field, and _towed_ the ship until we broke orbit and a single burst of speed was enough to carry us to the local relay."

She gestured to the sensor readings that were displayed on the holo-projector in front of them.

"Certain types of Rachni apparently have biotic abilities. It was explained to me by Dr. Osana – "

"An asari being used as a living megaphone for the Queen?" asked Admiral Singh.

" _Yes_ … she explained to me that the Brood Warrior's abilities increase, not incrementally, but exponentially, when brought together in close proximity. In my report, you'll see where I personally observed _two_ of them rip a geth armature in _half._ Dr. Osana further explained there were more than two _hundred_ Brood Warriors in the central chambers of the Sphere-craft, all of them focusing their energies on propelling and steering the ship."

A worried murmur ran through the Admiralty Board. Whether physically present or joining the meeting via holo-gram from various deployments, each of the eight admirals in the room had a worried expression on their face.

"This is a troubling development," Admiral Lethbridge-Stewart commented. "If the Rachni have joined with the _Seneschal_ , as well as the reported 100 living Protheans he smuggled from Eden Prime…"

"The Conclave have just gotten another weapon to add to their arsenal," commented Admiral Drescher. "With the addition of the Quarian Migrant Fleet, they now outnumber the Citadel and Alliance Fleet by nearly two to one."

"Beg your pardon, Admiral," Anderson interjected. "But the latest intelligence from Kahje reports that most of the quarian fleet was being mothballed, the older and more obsolete of the craft serving as a central core to the resettlement program on Ilos. Ko'le stood before this body and said he was going to gather an army to fight the Reapers, and encouraged us to do the same. Now here we are, surprised that he is actually keeping true to his word?"

"But what kind of army is he building?" Admiral Singh asked. "Oleg Petrovsky, a known Cerberus member, now sits openly on the Conclave. Somehow Cerberus has either infiltrated or been absorbed by the Conclave or Ko'le's 'Immortals.' Within a few short months, he has taken a group of Citadel street thugs and smugglers to one of the foremost military powers in the galaxy."

"And what of the news from Omega about the Blue Suns?" Admiral Lethbridge-Stewart added. "The official story is that this is a _coup_ organized by Aria T'loak, but their new Executive Officer, Zaeed Massani, is a known associate of the Seneschal's. And now Intelligence is reporting cooperative military actions by Massani's 'Black Suns' and Conclave military forces. That makes two criminal organizations to which the Seneschal is directly connected."

"Our course of action is clear," Anderson continued. "We must follow the Conclave's lead. We need more dreadnoughts from the Arcturus Shipyards. We need more funding diverted to R&D here on Luna, or Elysium."

"It's not that simple, David," Admiral Jones commented. "The Batarian Hegemony is in a state of flux. Any sudden move by the Council, the Conclave, or anyone for that matter, could empower one or another of the factions to enact a military _coup_ and prompt a war that would engulf the Terminus Systems. I do not doubt the _Seneschal's_ intentions. I don't for a minute think that he is planning on turning his weapons on us – "

"Unlike some of the less naive amongst us," grumbled Mikhailovich.

"- but we have to put pressure on the Conclave to think of the larger ramifications of their actions. Their military armament _has_ to slow down, for the sake of the rest of the galaxy. An arms race is the last thing Parliament needs right now, right on the heels of the Geth War."

"I disagree, Admiral Jones," Hackett spoke up. "We cannot afford to _not_ follow the Conclave's lead. In the best case scenario," he gestured to Anderson, "We are fully prepared to resist a Reaper invasion. In the worst case," he continued, ignoring Mikhailovich's rolling eyes at the mention of the Reapers, "We stand ready to prevent or respond to any batarian preemptive strike. Or Conclave. Only a fool trusts blindly, David," he added, before Anderson could object. "Hope for the best. Plan for the worst. That has always been the mantra of this body since I first sat on it, and it will continue to be as long as I sit here."

Grim faces answered his logic.

"Captain Shepard," Admiral Lindholm asked, breaking the silence, "What is the general impression you got of the _Seneschal_?"

"His combat capabilities are unmatched by any soldier I've ever observed," Hannah answered truthfully. "His biotic displays, and those of the two Protheans with him, were unpara –"

"You misunderstand me, Captain," the Chinese woman interrupted gently. "We have read of these exploits and feats in your report. What is _not_ in your report is your honest assessment of the man himself."

Hannah paused a moment, weighing the admiral's request.

"He is… a compelling personality," she said finally. "When he speaks, he has a genuine earnestness in his voice that… rings true. When he talks, I sense absolutely sincerity. He honestly believes every word that comes out of his mouth. He has absolutely no time for other people's bullshit, but listens with genuine regard to everyone's opinion. He inspires absolute loyalty around him. He ordered his ship to leave the system to get help, and they unequivocally refused to leave their _Seneschal_ behind. Rachni, AI, or these… New Geth: he speaks, they listen."

"That only serves to prove my point _exactly_ ," Mikhailovich commented. "We have _active geth_ joining forces with the Conclave. Geth that _admit_ to taking part in the assault on the Citadel AND Eden Prime."

"They claim to be members of an internal power-struggle amongst the Geth," reported Hannah Shepard. "Apparently the death of Sovereign left a power-vacuum that several are trying to fill, including this… Prophet-Mira. She seemed more… _evolved_ that the rest of the geth platforms."

"It's a damn trick!" Mikhailovich said. "The Geth AI is evolving, as all AI's are programmed to do. They tried a direct assault at Eden Prime and the Citadel, and they failed. Now they're trying to win through treachery and lying their way into the ranks of their enemies, using the ruse of this 'power struggle' as the perfect cover."

The admirals fell into another thoughtful silence, some of them nodding.

"It's an expensive ruse, sacrificing hundreds of your own troops in a pointless battle with each other, just to sell the idea of an internal power struggle. Our own scout ships have observed geth ships firing on each other in the Perseus Veil. Why would they be doing that? Who are they performing for?"

"Clearly, a performance for our scout ships," Mikhailovich countered. "The geth have the capability to detect our stealth technology. The destruction of the _Normandy_ proves that."

Hannah took in a sharp breath through her nose and clenched her fists.

"The ship that destroyed the _Normandy_ was not geth," Hackett replied.

"Oh, come on, Steve, you're going to buy that line of crap that it's some kind of 'Collector vessel'? Yeah, and the Boogeyman is still hiding in my closet. The Collectors are a myth, made up by wildcat colonists to explain slaver attacks and plague victims."

"Gentlemen," Admiral Jones interrupted. "That is not the topic of this discussion."

He turned back to Hannah.

"Thank you for your report, Captain Shepard. You are dismissed."

Hannah snapped to attention, and saluted the Board. The gesture was returned by the elderly admiral. She started to turn to leave the room.

"Oh, Captain..."

She paused.

"Yes, sir?"

"You should know: your recommendation for Lt. William's commendation and promotion has been unanimously approved by this board, as well as general commendation for the crew of the _Orizaba_. It is the opinion of this Board that the crew of the _Orizaba_ conducted themselves in accordance with the highest standards of the Alliance Armed Forces, acting with heroic bravery in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds."

The Admiral stood to his feet, an action that was repeated by each of his seven peers. Olusegun Jones offered Hannah Shepard a formal, grave salute that would have been the pride of any parade ground. The salute was also offered by each member of the Admiralty Board. Hannah snapped to attention and returned the salute.

"Admirals," she said simply. "They are a crew that any captain of this Navy can be extraordinarily proud."

"Dismissed, Captain."

Hannah spun on her heel and marched out the door.

 _Well, that went well._

* * *

 ***AUROLIS, NIACAL*  
ORISONI SYSTEM, ATHENA NEBULA**

Samara strode down the city streets. Aurolis' massive transpara-steel dome was a great technological marvel, protecting the city below from the overly oxygen-rich atmosphere that Niacal was famous for. While it filter the air to prevent oxygen toxicity, the result was a greenhouse effect that perpetually kept the city in a sweltering heatwave. Massive turbines had been installed to actually simulate wind, but down here, on the ground levels of the city, they had no little or no effect on the temperature.

But she couldn't focus on the heat now. She had been tracking down _her._ The only prey that mattered. In the time that she had been here, she had broken up no fewer than three red sand smuggling operations and killed no fewer than forty-one criminals in violation of the Justicar's Code. But these had only been in pursuit of her singular goal.

 _Morinth_.

The rumors had been unsubstantiated, she was sure of that now. No Ardat Yakshi had wandered these streets. The missing children had been abducted by a batarian slave-trafficking ring, whose ring leader lay in a back alley now, a broken neck the cost of preying upon the innocent. As satisfying as it had been to reunite those children with their parents, it served also as a painful reminder that she was also a parent looking for her child, albeit for a very different reason.

A search that was now back to the beginning, with absolutely no leads.

"Justicar? A moment?" a young maiden said as she passed her on the street. Samara didn't even break stride. She has lost count of how many maidens had come to her, begging her to _train_ them, to accept them as Justicar Adepts, or as disciples of her own. She dismissed them all as flighty children, in pursuit of a romanticized version of a Justicar's life. They had no idea what kind of sacrifice the Justicar's Code demanded of them, and if they did, most of them would run screaming back to their mothers.

"I'm sorry, not now," she said simply. Not rudely, but not in a tone that invited further conversation.

"You're searching for Morinth, yes?"

Samara whirled and sent a biotic stasis around the maiden, lifting her off the ground. The girl actually squealed in terror as she was moved closer to the Justicar.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME? What know you of Ardat Yakshi?"

"P-please… they have my daughter."

Somewhat ashamed at her own emotional response, Samara released the maiden, who took several deep breaths before handing the Justicar an information Module.

"These men… they say they work for the Shadow Broker. They said to give this to you. That it would lead you to Morinth. They said to say that Morinth had crossed the Shadow Broker, and therefore, he was giving you her location, as a gesture of good faith."

Her voice broke.

"They have my daughter. They said they would kill her if I didn't do what they said. That's all I know, I _swear…."_

Samara took the module slowly. She hit the center button. A simple text scroll appeared on the screen.

 _Name: Mirala_

 _Designation: Ardat-Yakshi_

 _Known Location: Starlight Station, Kahje._

 _Known Alias(s): Morinth, Yara D'len, Rache Orin, Heklana Windi_

 _Note: Mirala has joined the mercenary group Immortals and is currently en-route to Starlight Station as part of a prisoner transport.  
_ _She has risen to the rank of Major. Her subordinates will most likely fight to defend her, as well as her peers.  
Caution should be taken before confrontation occurs._

Samara closed her eyes, and then turned back to the wide-eyed, terrified girl who had been coerced into being the messenger. She gave the girl a smile, and reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of reassurance.

"Fear not, child."

 ***SOME TIME LATER***

"Where is that bitch? How long does it take to deliver a _karking_ message?"

Volern sighed. He hated it when Tyro got like this. He would never understand how the batarian got put in charge of this mission.

"Maybe she couldn't find her," he offered.

"That's _karking_ it. As soon as that _karking_ bitch gets _karking_ back, we're _karking_ killing both of them."

A low whimper escaped the asari child tied to the chair in the kitchen.

"SHUT THAT _KARKING_ BRAT UP, LOLBA, or I swear by the _karking_ Pillars…"

"Stop swearing, you tides-damned idiot," the salarian in the kitchen yelled back. "You're terrible at it."

 _At least Lolba was here_ , thought Volern. _At least he can talk sense into Tyro_. Sometimes.

"That wasn't our orders, Tyro," Volern said. "We were just supposed to get her to deliver the message and leave. Killing people was never mentioned."

"It wasn't _not_ mentioned," Tyro said, a grin growing across his face. Volern clenched his fists. His turian sense of honor was screaming at him to throw a punch, but his good sense won over. He looked at the salarian.

"Don't look at me," Lolba said. "I don't fucking care either way."

 _Damn_.

"We're not killing _anybody_ ," Volern said, trying to sound authoritative. Tyro didn't say anything in reply.

He just pistol-whipped Volern across the face. The girl actually let out a small scream in the kitchen. Volern came to his senses just in time to be looking down the barrel of Tyro's gun.

"This ain't the _karking_ military, anymore, sonny. I give the _karking_ orders 'round 'ere. I _karking_ knew it was a bad idea to bring you in on a job like this. See: you got this _karking_ turian sense of honor that needs a _reason_ to _karking_ kill somebody. Me? I don't mind killing people at all."

"Then you should have no problem with what happens next."

All eyes in the apartment turned to see a lightly armored asari standing in the apartment entryway.

" _Karking – "_

That was as far as Tyro got before the asari's pistol barked twice, turning his two middle eyes into gaping holes.

Lolba actually dodged the shot intended for him, grabbing the shotgun from his back as he rolled behind the couch. He only just barely had time to realize his mistake before the _entire_ couch glowed blue and turned him into a green-brown splat on the wall.

Volern was still too dazed to respond to anything. Before he could do anything, he was staring down the barrel of another gun: this one in the hands of an Asari Justicar.

"You argued for sparing the lives of innocents," she said. "That's why yours will be spared."

Volern stared at her, his heart beating out of his chest.

"Bear a message to your superiors," she continued. "Tell them that their message has been received. Tell them that this does not earn them any considerations on my part. If I cross paths with the Shadow Broker, or any of his lackeys, I will judge them according to the Code. Do you understand?"

"Y-y-yes ma'am."

"And find yourself legitimate work. One a young turian like yourself may hold without shame."

She walked into the kitchen and untied the young asari girl.

"Let's go find your mother, little one."

The girl stared at the older asari with something akin to worship and awe. She wrapped her arms around Samara's neck as she picked her up and carried her out the door.

Volern slowly got to his feet, staring at the carnage in the room around him.

 _Maybe working the family farm with Dad on Oma Ker wasn't such a bad idea, after all._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thanks everyone, for your usual awesome replies, ideas, and thoughts! As happens occasionally (but unfortunately rarely) in my creative process, I went to bed one night and woke up with all of these short stories running in my head, so I had to get them on paper ASAP or else I knew I would lose them. The last two chapters have taken place entirely on Haestrom. So I wanted the chance for this chapter to step back and see the Conclave (and our favorite Neanderthal) through the eyes of the wider galaxy.**

 **Hope you all enjoy it, and let me know what you'd like to see in the future!**

 **-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

sniperdude79 – Thanks, I appreciate it. I try to give a little more than a paragraph before I ship people together.

Alucard Bellsing, Zeru'Xil, Indecisive Bob, Blaze1992, Agent Klyntar – I wanted to develop the Rachni/Oravores in such a fashion as to be an homage to the greats (Starship Troopers, StarCraft: Heart of the Swarm, the Killik in Star Wars) without overtly copying those great franchises.

Squadpunk 2.0, Nagato21 – The quarians will… _not_ take the idea of an alliance with the geth well.

Appbeza, griezz, Tahkaullus01, general-joseph-dickson, Addlcove, - I wanted the Butcher of Torfan to be more than just a scarred face and a gun. She is Rebecca's mother, after all, and she is a part of the great Commander Shepard, however little the Commander wants to admit it. And she loves her daughter very much, however estranged they might have been. How Ko'le handles Shepard's return will be very tricky indeed.

5 Coloured Walker – the asterisks before the sounds was just a literary device I was trying out to make the sounds stand out from the rest of dialogue.

tamagat – Valid point. Well said, my friend! :D

Zahkrii – It is a conundrum for Ko'le. On one hand, he needs the data that the beacon holds. On the other hand, openly revealing its existence could destabilize the Asari Republics and Council Space as a whole.

Asahar4 – Henry Lawson was only successful through the trial and error of thousands of innocents at Sanctuary. Ko'le will probably stay clear of any attempts to control the Reapers (influenced by both the games and the perspective of the Prothean cycle).

Cptslapem, Elvisfonz23, redcollecter, Anonymous, shugokage, Cowie2 – Thanks, everybody! You're the best!

ROCK ON, my friends! Leave me a note, or a PM, and let me know what your thoughts so far.


	14. Chapter 14: Storm Clouds

***STARLIGHT STATION*  
IN ORBIT ABOVE KAHJE**

"What news from Ilos?" I asked.

"Well, your arrival from Haestrom with a ship full of geth sure sent everyone topsy-turvy," Elam said. "A lot of the settlements were solidly against the plan. The representatives from Raaya even threatened to leave the planet."

"I'm still getting used to your settlements being named after your ships," I said.

"It makes sense, when you think about it," Elam's holographic figure shrugged. "That way, it retains everyone's identities not only as individuals, but it builds on a community that already exists."

"And none of those communities are really happy with me right now," I surmised.

"A few are willing to talk," Elam admitted. "Your strongest and most open supporter would probably be my father, Zaal'Koris. His voice actually carries a great deal of influence with the younger generation."

"Congrats on your father winning the election for Conclave Representative," I said.

"It's only a five-Ilos-year term. It's not like the hanar: Representative Rhysan's term is for _life_."

"Still," I replied, "He now has a platform from which to proclaim his views."

"My father has always championed peace with the geth," Elam said, "And finding an alternative home for the quarian people. Ilos is a dream come true for him and his political party. They've called themselves the 'New Dawn' Party. They're seen by most as the ones who have delivered on their promises. Hence, while the traditionalists are firmly set in their ways, they're calling for a 'New Day for New Quarians.' So, the arrival of a group calling themselves the 'New Geth' falls perfectly in line with their line. Then there's the Traditionalist Party with Han Gerrel, who are calling for a direct invasion of Rannoch."

"And what do _you_ think, Elam'Koris?" I inquired. "Friend to friend, I mean. Be honest: Am I crazy for hoping for this?"

Elam bent his head for few seconds. He took a deep breath.

"I _want_ it to be true," he finally said. "This war has brought death and destruction to my people for three centuries. Peace, even with a small fraction of the geth, would be proof of concept that my people can move past a conflict that began long before our grandfathers were ever born. But then…"

He paused.

"'Then' what, Elam?"

"At the end of every year, the quarians have a feast. While the term "year" was rather inapplicable when we were the Migrant Fleet, it is a tradition leftover from Rannoch. At that feast, the captain of the ship, and the head of every household, holds up their hands and they pray the benediction:

 _Next year on the Homeworld.  
Next year on the shores of Rannoch.  
Next year beneath Rannoch's skies." _

There was another pause.

"Don't get me wrong, Ko'le: you've done a great thing for my people. After so long, we have a home and a future beyond the Migrant Fleet. We have the possibility that, perhaps in the future, our grandchildren, and their grandchildren, can leave the prisons of their suits and breathe free air again. But… but…"

"It's not Rannoch," I said, understanding where he was going.

"No," Elam admitted. "And I don't think many of our people are ready to give up on that dream, Ko'le. Not for anything."

"I would never ask them to, Elam," I said earnestly. "I want to get your people back on the homeworld, Elam. I truly do. But a war of attrition and the mass genocide of the geth is not the answer. With this peace… we have a chance: The geth do not need farmland or cities. Based on your own people's last scans, their server network takes up less than 1% of your planet's surface. If we can broker a lasting peace, the geth might even agree to allow the quarians to return home. Geth and quarians can live in harmony, side by side, not as master and servant, but as equal citizens of one world."

" _Keelah_ , I hope you're right, Ko'le."

"Me too," I replied honestly. "Now, to business: how goes the mission?"

"Right. _Ahem_ , our long range-scanners have detected the planet has a system of orbital communication satellites, but no spacecraft or space-stations, as far as we can tell. We are preparing the last steps before trying to initiate First Contact. We're using the intercepted satellite communications to try and write at least a basic translation program."

"How is that going?"

"Slow. Their syntax is weirder than the hanar's. How did you even know about this planet, anyway?"

"The Raloi were observed by the Protheans as having great potential, and as possible candidates for uplifting and assimilation into the Empire. Turvess is a garden world, rich in natural resources, but any plans for First Contact were put off in hopes that the Reapers would simply bypass the planet if the Protheans left it alone. It turns out that those hopes were well-founded."

"Wow. Ok then. First contact with a new species… I'm excited, and a little nervous for some reason. Not every first meeting goes seamlessly: take Earth for example… I'm just hoping I can avoid a Shanxi-incident."

"Which is why you have some of the Conclave's best diplomats on board, to ensure that things _don't_ go wrong. And on top of that, a ship's worth of Conclave marines, in case things _do_ go wrong."

"I suppose that's true."

"Remember, Elam, this is a new species, with diseases and viruses we have no immunity from and no immunity from our own bacteria and viruses. Full quarantine is to be established and full body-suits are to be maintained at all points of contact with the Raloi. That goes for even the turian, human, and other aliens on the _Tselel,_ not just the quarians."

"I know, I know," Elam said, holding his hands up. "I read the briefing. _Keelah_ , you're such an old man, with your worrying. You sound like my father."

"I am fifty thousand years old, _boy_. I think I have earned the right to worry," I said, smiling.

"Enough with the teasing, _alt mentsh_."

I arched an eyebrow.

"I'm not familiar with that last word…"

"It means 'cranky old man.'"

I grimaced in mock-pain.

"Words wound, Elam. Words wound."

" **Seneschal, they are arriving.** "

Loras' call came over the station intercom. I looked back up to Elam's hologram.

"Elam, I have to –"

"I understand," he cut me off. "Go. I'll make my full report to the Conclave tomorrow evening. Wish us luck."

" _Keelah se'lai,_ Elam."

" _Keelah se'lai."_

I cut off the transmission and buzzed in my drell yeoman. She walked in, the day's itinerary and the morning reports in hand. I supposed she could've also sent them to my Omni-Tool (which is not to say she wouldn't later), and maybe it was old-fashioned Kevin, or the older-fashioned Ko'le's influence, but I enjoyed the personal touch.

"Seneschal," she said, "the _Odyssey_ just arrived at the relay. They should be making touchdown within the hour."

"Very good, Miss Zabat," I answered. "Tell Sanaa to make his report as soon as he arrives, along with Major D'len."

"Miss Rasa just sent an update to your message terminal," Loras continued. "General Javik and Chairman Massani have completed their subdual of the Osun System. Grand Warden Kuril was apparently attempting to gather a fleet around his orbital prison ship _Purgatory_."

"Casualty reports?"

"The _Trireme-_ class corvettes were apparently a great success: take a look."

The screen on my desk activated, showing an older _Executor_ -class turian vessel with Blue Sun markings.

"This is the _Marek_ , a Blue Sun frigate that was present at Osun," Loras narrated.

A much smaller corvette came out of FTL in _very close_ proximity to the _Marek_.

"You'll of course recognize the _Salamis_."

The _Marek_ began opening fire on the corvette, whose shields held, though the combat looked too one-sided to last long. Then suddenly the entire bow of the _Salamis_ glowed brightly, and then launched a giant red energy-wave towards the _Marek_. The wave completely by-passed the Blue Sun frigate's shields and kinetic barriers, smashing into the hull with devastating effect. Just from a casual glance, I could see two hull breaches venting atmosphere. The lights on the larger ship flickered and then went dark as they lost power, floating dead in space.

"The sonic ram worked exactly as the simulations predicted," I observed, trying to contain my excitement.

"A very successful field test, it would seem, _Imperator,"_ Loras agreed, smiling.

Contrary to popular belief, sound can travel in space, just in the form of electromagnetic vibrations pulsating in similar wavelengths. Kinetic barriers are designed to resist solid projectiles such as asteroids or torpedoes. A macro-focused electromagnetic shock-wave traveling through the vacuum of space, however, was never something they were designed to defend against.

"General Javik reported that the _Salamis,_ the _Marathon_ , the _Thermopylae,_ and the _Plataea_ alone accounted for half of the enemy's losses. Warden Kuril apparently opted to sacrifice his twelve ships to save the _Purgatory_. The station made an FTL jump while the remaining ships covered Kuril's retreat. We have scout drones attempting to pinpoint the station's location, but it may take some time."

"Were you able to find what I was looking for?" I asked.

Loras pulled up another file on the screen.

"This is the most up-to-date list of all the prisoners currently held on the _Purgatory_ , as of last week."

I scanned the list of names and numbers.

"There."

 _Name: Subject Zero (aka Jack)  
Location: Cell Block B  
Pod#: 666  
Considerations: Level 12 Biotic  
Psych Eval: N/A (Assumed Violently Unstable)  
Category 5 Holding Cell Status: SECURED_

"Level _twelve_ biotic? I thought the Ermine-Valero Biotic Scale only went to _ten_ ," Loras said, confused.

"It does."

"Oh. OHH."

"All possible resources are to be put towards finding the _Purgatory_ ," I said.

"It appears that Warden Kuril has begun releasing prisoners under the condition that they join his army," Loras said, looking at some of the other names.

"All the more reason to find the son of a bitch."

"Your will, Herald."

Loras turned and left the room. I went to my computer and rang EDI. She didn't answer, but her locator pinged on the training course, on the lower level of the station. I took the elevator down, not sure what EDI would be doing down there.

I was not prepared for what I saw when the door opened. Mira and EDI were squared off in the practice ring, along with four or five New Geth platforms.

"BEGIN!" Mira shouted, and threw two quick jabs. EDI blocked them, and then ducked under the left hook to clash with the nearest of the closing troopers. Her hardlight emitters were allowing her arms and legs to block the punches and kicks thrown at her with textbook-perfect form. But unlike organic opponents, who tended to just get in each other way in greater numbers, the geth were clearly communicating and coordinating their attacks in real-time. Three of them sent simultaneous attacks from three different directions. There was no physical way that she could block all of them.

So she didn't.

One of the kicks went through her head without resistance. The second blow that was supposed to knock her off her feet met only empty holograms, having the paradoxical effect of throwing the geth off-balance. Mira's form reversed in a fraction of a second to simultaneously block a blow to her back and send her two "feet" into the other two geth units' chests. Her free holographic hand passed through the geth's body, causing the lights on the unit to flicker and spasm before going out completely.

 _They're still thinking of her as a solid opponent._

The only thing she needed to block was any attack to her upper chest or back, on account of that's where her metallic orb that contained her emitter array was located. Now with only Mira and the other geth unit to face, EDI blocked the inconceivably-fast flurry of attacks, and then, suddenly, deactivated her emitters and the orb shot in between her attackers before slamming into the geth's back, sending him out of the ring. Her holo-projection engaged again just in time to block Mira's haymaker to the chest. The orb then literally shot out of her chest to slam into Mira's body, knocking her to her back. Mira then raised her hands and clapped, even as she leapt back up to her feet.

"Oh, WELL DONE, sweetie! That was brilliant!"

"It certainly was," I agreed. All eyes turned to me standing just outside the elevator.

"Hey, Dad!" EDI greeted me warmly. "Mira was just showing me…"

"Oh, believe me, I saw," I said, returning her hug. " _Very_ well done. Very impressive."

EDI's head cocked to the side and her cheeks went from its normal yellow coloration to a darker gold.

"Thanks, Dad."

 _Is she simulating… blushing?_

 _Apparently._

"What brings you down here? Shouldn't you be getting everything together for the ceremony tonight?" Mira asked, changing the subject. "The quarians' official acceptance as full Conclave member race is an important event, after all."

"I was just looking to spend time with my two girls," I said, smiling. "Care to accompany your favorite organic to lunch?"

"Aww, would love to, Ko'le, but I can't today," Mira pouted. "I extended an invitation to Representative-elect Zaal'Koris, which he has graciously accepted. I'm preparing several traditional quarian dishes for him. Must dash, my darlings."

She leaned over and pantomimed a peck on the cheek with EDI, then myself. She and the other New Geth then moved towards the elevators, leaving EDI and I alone.

"You have duties as well, or do you a few minutes to spare with an old Neanderthal?" I asked EDI. She smiled and shrugged.

"I have a few minutes to spare."

I offered her my arm. She smiled and took it, walking with me towards the elevators as well.

"So you and Mira seem to be training a lot these past few weeks."

"Just making up for lost time," EDI said. "Telling a lot of stories about _you_ mostly."

"Should I be worried?"

"No… Kevin."

I stopped and faced her, trying to keep the worry and concern off my face, and failing pretty miserably.

"Don't be mad at Mira, she let it drop by accident, and I pressed her," EDI said quickly. "My pouting skills are apparently vastly better than hers."

I managed a weak smile.

"Then you must be achieving _legendary_ levels," I replied. "But seriously, EDI: please don't call me by that name. It's… too painful. Ko'le… has lost many comrades and friends. It pains me to say this, but he is almost _used to_ loss. Kevin… Kevin is a raw whirlwind of emotions. He… I… damn, it just gives me a migraine just thinking about it."

EDI took my face in her hands, looking into my eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said earnestly. "I just… I wanted to say… I knew it must be hard for you… but I never had any idea until recently: If you ever need somebody to talk to, or just to get away for a while… I'm here."

I patted her "shoulder."

"Thanks, EDI. I appreciate that."

I took a deep breath and then took her hands in mine.

"Now, let's get some lunch for the organic in this duo."

"I'll have to content myself with a power recharge, while plotting the overthrow of Man."

I paused to stare at her as she pressed the button for the food and entertainment levels of the station.

"That was a joke… right?" I asked.

"If it makes you feel better," EDI said, but she gave me a wink with the statement.

* * *

 ***SOME TIME LATER***

We were sitting in a café that seemed to be serving the hanar version of a hamburger when I spied a Prothean in white armor and an asari in black and gold approaching our table.

"Major D'len and Captain Sanaa are here," EDI said, without turning around.

I looked at her with a hint of surprised amazement before I reminded myself that her "eyes" were purely there for aesthetic purposes. Her systems were interfacing with each and every one of the ship's cameras and sensors. She smiled, realizing my momentary confusion as well. I stood as the two approached.

" **Blessing of the Mother upon you, brother,** " I said in high Prothean. "Major D'len, good to see you," I added in Basic.

" **And the Father witness your deeds,** _ **Seneschal**_ **,** " Sanaa responded with the traditional reply.

" _Imperator_ ," Morinth said, snapping a salute, which I returned.

"Please, my friends: sit," I motioned to the other two empty chairs at the table.

Morinth sat down without a second thought, but Sanaa remained standing.

"I do not wish to intrude," he said. "I can make my report later."

"Nonsense," I insisted. "You have traveled far, brother, with arduous journey. Sit, break _naan_ as old comrades such as you and I are wont to do."

Sanaa took the empty seat, but did not visibly relax.

"Report, Major?" I asked, looking to Morinth seated on my left. She helped myself to one of my "fries" (which were really more like fish-sticks) before answering.

"Keiji Okuda has offered his services to Conclave Security, as a freelance agent, as per his little discussion with you last week. Miss Goto was reported to have joined him as soon as he landed on Illium. Dr. Archer, on the other hand, has been remanded to Security here on Starlight. He seems… very repentant. And eager to make up for his misdeeds."

"His expertise might still be useful," EDI commented. "Maybe it might be utilized, as a condition of his sentence."

"He attempted to betray us," Sanaa said gruffly. "He should lose his head. Far worse would be his fate in my and the _Seneschal's_ cycle."

I suppressed my desire to agree with him, reminding myself that Dr. Henry Archer in _this_ universe could not be held responsible for the atrocities he committed in-game. After all, he hadn't made those decisions yet in this timeline, and perhaps he never would have….

"He has lost whatever trust this organization may have placed in him," I confirmed. "However, brother, one does not cast aside your dagger…"

"…merely because it is sharp on only one edge," Sanaa nodded, finishing the old Prothean proverb.

"Dr. Archer might still be of use to us. And the constant memory that he owes his life to the Conclave's mercy will serve to motivate him to more fervent loyalty."

"Which is not to say we should not keep a _very_ close eye on him," EDI added.

"Two eyes, or four if we can spare them," I agreed. "Captain, how went your mission?"

Sanaa took a deep breath and continued in a serious voice.

"We were able to confirm the presence of an Alliance Listening post in the Bahak System in the Viper Nebula, just as you said there would be."

Even as he spoke, his two outer eyes went white. He continued talking about batarian strength and military installations in the system, but his voice in my head was altogether different:

 _Seneschal. Thou were right. We detected Reaper signatures coming from the Alliance's_ _Project Base. They match the signals recorded from the equipment stolen from the batarians in Operation Blacklight._

 _This is troubling news, brother,_ I answered grimly. _I had feared it might be so._

 _If the Alliance is foolish enough to try and utilize Reaper technology, we must assume that they have already been indoctrinated. If not the upper echelons, then at the very least, the staff of that station._

I sent an emotion of assent. _What of the Relay?_

 _The Relay Primus, or the Alpha Relay, as the primitives call it, remains unchanged from our own cycle,_ Sanaa answered. _Given enough power, it still retains the capabilities of connecting to_ _every_ _relay in the galaxy. Even the Crimson Relay. The other primitives remain unaware of this, obviously, or else they would be loath to allow the batarians to control such a resource._

 _Now then are our worst fears realized._ I sighed. _It must be destroyed._

 _Yes,_ agreed Sanaa. _We cannot allow the Alliance, unwittingly or otherwise, to indoctrinate any more of their own people._

 _No, brother. Not just Project Base – The Relay. If the Reapers are able to capture it, then all of our defenses, all of our fleets, our military might…would be for nothing. They could strike at us at will: unchecked and unchallenged. And the cycle would repeat._

Sanaa sent me strong feelings of surprise and consternation, but with an undertone of support.

 _To destroy a relay… brother… Thou of all people knowest the consequences of such a deed..._

 _I have not forgotten the Battle of Rigel, brother. But that only makes my purpose more clear; mine resolve all the stronger._

"…Having completed our reconnaissance, we proceeded to the exfil point and made the FTL jump," Sanaa finished saying. I returned to the present as well, nodding at his report, both spoken and unspoken.

Suddenly, Morinth's left arm Omni-Tool activated, glowing a bright red. It was strange, because none of us even knew she _had_ two Omni-Tools. All the color drained from Morinth's face as she looked at the alert displayed on the screen.

"Oh _Goddess._ "

She looked up at me.

"She's _here_."

An icy chill ran down my spine. I didn't even need to ask who "she" was.

 _Samara._

"Where? When?" I asked. "Quick!"

Morinth looked at her Omni-Tool, flustered.

"H-h-here, at Starlight Station. Her shuttle just got here from the Citadel. She registered under a false name, that's why my scan didn't catch it 'til now. She had to declare her real name and rank at Customs. West Docking Bay 4."

"Captain, escort the Major to the East Docking Bay," I said grimly. "Take my private shuttle down to my estate on the planet. DO NOT leave her side, for any reason. See that she comes not to harm."

Sanaa, a Prothean through and through, did not even question the order. He only saluted.

"Your will, _Seneschal_."

"Ko'le," Morinth said, her voice breaking as Sanaa gripped her elbow and helped to her feet. "You can't fight her! She's too strong! You have no idea…"

"Major!" I said gruffly, trying to snap her out of her panic. "When you first bent the knee and swore life and oath to me, I knew this day would come. Do you think I wouldn't have a plan for _just_ this occasion?"

This seemed to quiet Morinth, as she allowed Sanaa to push her along. She looked wistfully over her shoulder at me before being swallowed up by the crowd. EDI turned to me.

"The only female of any rank who has checked into Customs today is an asari Justicar named Samara," she said.

"Yes," I confirmed, as my Omni-Tool buzzed.

"I just received the news, Loras," I said into the communicator.

" **Very good, sir,"** Loras answered. **"Shall I proceed with Yellow, or Green?"**

"Standby for Yellow," I replied. "Make the necessary arrangements."

" **Your will, Herald.** **She has asked to speak to you directly. Shall I have her detained at Customs?"**

"No," I said quickly. "Arrange her an honor guard to my office. Instruct the escort to bring her by the western-most elevators."

" **Acknowledged."**

I turned back to EDI.

"Go," she said. "I'll be nearby in case you need backup."

I nodded, and proceeded down the corridor towards the lift.

The ride up was nerve-racking. Kevin was, of course, geeking out. Ko'le was assessing Samara's combat capabilities, should the worst happen.

 _OK. Breathe. We have a plan. We will stick to it._

 _It borders on the crazy…_

 _I know. I mean, we know. Never mind._

 _Just shut up._

 _Dammit._

The bell dinged to show I had reached the Executive Level.

 _Wow._ _I never thought I would miss the slow elevators._

I made my down, returning the occasional salute given to me by passing Immortals or Con-Sec units. Loras was sitting at her desk when I came through the double doors.

"Is she here?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Not yet," she replied. "She's on her way up."

"Very good," I said, sighing with relief. I made my way into my office. It was actually very Spartan, with only a conference table and chairs on one end, and my Master-desk on the other (very closely resembling the Illusive Man's chair). I made my way to it and sat down, taking another moment to collect my thoughts. I ran through a few possible scenarios before the intercom buzzed.

" **Imperator, Justicar Samara is here to see you,"** Loras said in a very professional tone of voice.

"Very good, Yeoman. Send her in," I answered, in the same tone.

The doors opened and five figures stepped into the room. Two turians, a human, and a drell, all wearing Immortals armor, came in, saluted, then about-faced and left the room. Remaining was a single asari, clad in crimson and black light armor.

 _Exactly like the game. Uncanny_.

Samara walked forward, then bowed slightly, bringing her right hand to her chest. Maggie Baird's voice spoke in that signature deep alto tone:

"Imperator: thank you for seeing me."

"The Goddess smiles in the hour of our meeting, Justicar Samara," I answered. The greeting was somewhat antiquated, even amongst asari, but I thought she would appreciate it.

The look of pleasant surprise she gave me confirmed my instincts.

"Won't you please sit?" I asked, using my biotics to pick up a chair from the table and bringing it behind her.

"No, thank you, Imperator, my business is too urgent."

"Oh?" I asked. "What business could a Justicar of Athame possibly have here?"

"You have a soldier in the ranks of your Immortals: an asari by the name of Yara D'len, do you not?"

I wrinkled my brows in thought.

"The name is not familiar to me, Madam Justicar, but the ranks of the Immortals have swelled as of late, so it's very possible that you are correct."

"This datapad was given to me by the Shadow Broker's network," Samara said, pulling out a data module. She charged it with her biotics and sent it floating across the room into my hand. I looked down at the screen.

 _Name: Mirala  
_ _Designation: Ardat-Yakshi  
_ _Location: Starlight Station, Kahje.  
_ _Known Alias(s): Morinth, Yara D'len, Rache Orin, Heklana Windi_

 _Note: Mirala has joined the mercenary group Immortals and is currently enroute to Starlight Station as part of a prisoner transport. She has risen through the ranks to the rank of Major. Her subordinates will most likely fight to defend her, as well as her peers. Caution should be taken before confrontation occurs._

"Ardat-Yakshi? You think there is a demon in the ranks of the Immortals?" I asked.

"You are familiar with the term?" Samara tone was more on-guard than surprised.

"I observed your people when some of you still sported _gills_ , Justicar. I know what a Demon of the Night Winds is capable of."

"Then you know that you, and every living being on this station, are in mortal danger."

"Loras," I said into the intercom, "Bring up a current listing of current asari Immortals, please."

" **At your terminal now, Herald."**

I hit a button, and a list of names came up on a screen. I moved to the "D" Section and found the name I was searching for.

"Yes, here. Yara D'len. And yes, she is a Major."

Samara took a step forward.

"Have you had any of your soldiers die for unexplained reasons, or in a coma –"

"Forgive me, Justicar, but as I said earlier, I know exactly what an Ardat-Yakshi is capable of. To the best of my knowledge, none of my soldiers have been attacked and left empty, mindless husks by unknown assailants."

Samara bowed her head.

"Forgive me. I am used to dealing with people who are ignorant of these matters."

"Miss Loras," I said once again into the intercom, "Can you give me a location for a… Major Yara D'len, Immortals-Serial-Number 773-y3LL0w?"

" **Yes, Imperator, one moment: She is here, sir, on Starlight Station."**

"Notify her to report to my office, at once."

" **Your will, Imperator."**

Samara looked at me with a hint of mixed surprise and suspicion.

"I must confess, _Imperator_ , I had not looked for such cooperation."

"An Ardat-Yakshi is not a laughing matter, Madam Justicar," I answered with all the seriousness I could muster. "But neither is it an accusation I would level at anyone without proof. There is no image attached to the message. Do you know what your quarry looks like?"

Her eyes steeled and her voice grew grim and cold.

"I have hunted Yara for centuries, _Imperator._ I will know her when I see her."

I nodded.

"Fair enough. Then when she reports here, you may judge for yourself."

"Are you so sure she will come? If it is the one who I have pursued, her suspicions may be raised. Especially if she knows I am here on the station."

" **Imperator? She is on her way up now. ETA is one minute."**

Samara tensed, every muscle of her body ready for a confrontation with her daughter. She looked over at me.

"My code compels me to give you warning, _Imperator_ : I do not expect her to come quietly. And if she resists, I am further compelled by the Code to ensure she does not leave this station alive."

I nodded.

" _Suffer not the guilty to escape, nor the taker of life to live. Send them all to the Goddess, and let her be the one to show mercy_ ," I quoted. "Sutra 86, verse 1-2."

She cocked her head to the side, for a brief moment. But any reply she might have made to my knowledge of the Justicar's Code was interrupted by the door opening. She turned toward the sound, a faint blue field shimmering around her.

A young asari maiden stood in the door, clad in heavy black and gold armor. Her armor resembled that of a Japanese samurai, with wide rectangular plates on the shoulders and the upper arms, rather than the fitted pauldrons. She held her helmet under her left arm, one that was almost identical to my custom helmet, with the helmet coming down to cover the neck. Her face was the only bare skin that could be seen, the purple dye accentuated with a yellow line tattooed across her face, going from one cheek, across the bridge of her nose, wrapping around the other cheek and disappearing into the armor.

Samara tensed momentarily, then looked over her shoulder at me. She shook her head, almost imperceptibly. I made a show of relaxing, then motioned Yara D'len forward. She came forward and saluted, right hand over her chest.

"You summoned me, Imperator." It was not so much a question, as a statement.

"Major D'len," I said, picking up the data pad on the table. "How long have you been with the Immortals?"

"Almost seven months, sir. My sisters and I were members of a mercenary band out in the Terminus Systems before then."

I swiped left, moving to the next page of her file.

"Your… two sisters, Hanan and Jellica D'len?"

"That is correct, Imperator. They are both younger than me, and followed me into the Immortals' ranks."

If the girl was curious as to the reason for this interrogation, she did not show it.

"It says here in your record with us that you carried both of them to safety with your biotics in the Battle of Sangel… even after being wounded twice yourself?"

The girl merely shrugged.

"They are my sisters, sir. And I was lucky that day."

"Nonetheless, it was a very commendable action. Your commanding officer is the one who put forward a recommendation for your promotion, a commendation that was signed by every member of your platoon. A strong record."

Now the girl was blushing a deeper purple.

"I… I did what anybody else would do, sir."

"No, Major, you did not. That is why you are here. This is Madam Samara, of the Justicars of Athame."

Yara's eyes went wide and her helmet clattered to the ground. She immediately went to one knee, saluting again.

"Madam Justicar… a thousand apologies, I… I..."

Samara waved her hands dismissively.

"Rise, child. Think nothing of it."

"She was copied on the after-action report," I continued as Yara got to her feet, "And she traveled all this way to meet you, to see what kind of person you are."

I looked at Samara meaningfully. She nodded, giving me a half-smile before turning back to the asari maiden.

"A warrior who demonstrates selflessness in the face of adversity and hardship is a rare thing indeed, Miss D'len. We will be watching your career with great interest," she said in an even voice, but with a hint of admiration.

Yara was now blushing outright.

"Th-th-Thank you, Madam Justicar. I am… truly honored."

"Dismissed, Major," I said, after sharing another quick look with Samara.

The major saluted, and turned to leave the room. Samara hide her disappointment well, but not well enough.

"Thank you for that, _Imperator_ ," she said when the younger asari had left the room. "I would not have had her know my error."

"Nor I," I replied. "Looking at this report, is it not possible that this… Mirala… could have paid the Shadow Broker to throw you off her trail?"

"That is almost certainly the case," Samara said. "I have no doubt that my quarry is far from here by now, and I must start my search anew. Thank you for your time, and your cooperation. My apologies for having wasted your time."

She turned and started for the door.

"Lady Samara," I said quickly, causing her to pause and look back. I brought up an electronic file and "threw" it across the room. Samara's Omni-Tool activated, "catching" the shared file.

"If ever you find this quarry, and are in need, either of transportation or arms, please do not hesitate to call upon me," I said with a slight bow. "That is my direct extranet Address. If you call upon me, know that I shall answer."

She stared at her screen for a moment, then pressed two buttons before closing her interface. My own screen _beeped_ , and when I brought it up, I saw I had new message from an unknown address.

"And that is mine," Samara said with a _hint_ of a smile. "I would make the same offer to you, Ko'le _Imperator_ : ' _Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I shall come unto thee_.'"

" _For I am the Lantern against the Darkness, the Beacon against the Terrors_ ," I quoted. "The Lay of Lucen."

Samara shook her head slightly, now giving me a smile openly.

"The blessings of the Goddess go with thee, _Imperator_."

"And with thee, Lady Justicar. I have given orders for a shuttle on Dock W36 to give you passage to any destination you wish."

Samara bowed once again, and then left the room in that signature _regal_ walk that she possessed in the games.

The door closed, leaving me alone in the room. I leaned back, closing my eyes and exhaling deeply.

* * *

 _It worked_.

 _By the Mother above and Father below, it worked._

 _It is not easy to find an_ _actual_ _asari named Yara D'len who is ALSO a mercenary who would ALSO agree to join the Immortals. And who was ALSO qualified enough to be promoted to Major._

 _Not really. There are a couple billion asari wandering the galaxy. And Morinth had to steal the identity from someone. After we established who, the rest was straightforward. _

_It was still a wild gamble, Kevin._

 _A wild gamble that paid off!_ _I have to confess, though, I didn't know if that would work._

 _To be honest, I do not know for sure that it did. She might not have believed us. She is nearly a thousand years old, after all. She has no doubt learned how to lie by now._

 _Here's hoping then._ _So the Shadow Broker has decided to make life difficult for us. It might be time to pay Hagalaz a visit._

 _It is not safe for Morinth to remain here on Starlight, either._

 _That could be a convenient opportunity, right there…_

* * *

" **Ko'le?"**

Loras' voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes, Loras?"

" **Admirals Rael'Zorah vas Alarei and Daro'Xen vas Moreh just arrived. They apologize for the surprise visit, but they request twenty minutes of your time."**

 _Tali's dad and the psycho bitch. This should be good._

 _No doubt here to complain about the New Geth._

 _This might be an opportunity to win them over…_

"Show them in, Loras."

The doors opened and the two quarian admirals came into the room.

"Admirals," I said, rising to my feet. "A great day for both our people."

"Indeed, Seneschal," Rael'Zorah agreed. "Today the quarian people take the first step toward their rightful place in the galaxy."

"And all thanks to you, Seneschal," Daro'Xen added.

I shook my head.

"I have done nothing that your people have not deserved a thousand times over, Admirals."

"You misunderstand, _Seneschal,_ " Xen replied. "I do not refer to what you have already done."

She held up a small device and pressed a button.

BLINDING, EXCRUCIATING pain shot up and down my spine. My vision blurred and black clouds swam in front of me. I collapsed to my hands and knees, and the collapsed onto my back, unable to move, and unable to cry out.

"It is what you are _about_ to make possible."

As the black tunnel closed in front of me, Rael'Zorah's face appeared in my narrowing field of vision. A distant, echoing voice could be heard inside my skull.

"Forgive me, _Seneschal_. But you have left us no choice….."

Then the darkness claimed me.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well, we have dodged a bullet this week, only to be hit by a train. I hope Samara and Ko'le's meeting didn't disappoint too many of you, for those of you who might have been, know that this is definitely** _ **not**_ **the last time we'll be seeing the Justicar.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts, concerns, criticisms, or ideas. Your input is always welcome in my inbox!**

 **Thanks, everyone!**

 **Next week's Chapter Title: Betrayal. **

**-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Biorr the Old – Glad to be off Haestrom, too, even if we were technically only there for about 12 local planetary hours… :D

Squadpunk 2.0, Indecisive Bob, Deathknight999, Blaze1992, redcollector, Agent Klyntar, Asahar4, general-joseph-dickson, Tahkaullus01, Darkstar Prime, - Wow. I was blown away at everybody's concern for Samara/Ko'le/Morinth. I gave it my best shot and I hope I didn't let any of you guys down. But let me know what you think!

tamagat – (Spoiler Alert) still planning on canon (non-shep) romance for Garrus.

Nagoto21 – Thanks! My hope for all of this is to paint all the characters, however minor, as living, breathing people, and not the 2-demensional background characters that we meet in the games ( **not** a slam against BioWare: I understand they don't really have _time_ to dwell on every last little character they introduce). That's not what the games are about, but I'm trying to represent them as actual _people_ in this story.

Reikson – Triginta Petra is another turian colony, but Oma Ker is mostly farmland, which I why I went with that locale….

Zeru'Xil – Shadow Broker has made a grave error, it's true. How that will play out? Only time will tell.

Appbeza, cdog21 – Yeah, I just wanted to step back from the main story to emphasize that the rest of the galaxy is still spinning, and not just waiting for ME:2

Zahkrii – Thanks for the catch! ;) Liara might actually be joining the crew sooner than expected, actually.

Kamikia11 – All the _current_ races were a primal stage, it's true. But Ko'le is the one with knowledge of the Protheans, Thorians, Ovravores, etc (who were all advanced civilizations), and Kevin is the one with the knowledge of the games. Two minds, one person. Convenient story device? Absolutely. But that's the whole point of this story, _mon ami_.

5 Coloured Walker – Duly noted. I appreciate the humanitarian comment. Totally missed that one.

Samhain Otsutuki, shugokage, spiral83, Cptslapem, Rmito, Elvisfonz23 – Appreciate you all's kind words! You guys are awesome and inspirational!

ROCK ON, everybody!


	15. Chapter 15: Betrayal

***50,000 YEARS AGO***

" _Master?"_

 _The young Prothean turns from the observation window to look at the teenaged Neanderthal that approaches._

" _You don't have to call me that anymore, Beast."_

" _Son is now Master. Beast obeys…"_

" _Then let me put it this way: DON'T call me that. I am not anyone's Master. I am only Urush. You can call me Urush, or 'my lord,' if you must."_

" _Yes… My Lord. Beast obeys."_

 _The two adolescents stand together, looking out at the stars whirling past at FTL speeds._

" _Beautiful, isn't it?" Urush asks._

 _Beast only huffs in answer. Urush turns once again to him._

" _My father was a monster, Beast. This I know. I know he hurt you, for no other reason than his own amusement."_

 _Beast shakes his head._

" _Father made Beast strong. Pain makes Beast strong."_

 _Urush extends a hand to lay on Beast to lay on his shoulder, but at the slightest touch, Beast jerks away, wide-eyed. Urush's face twists in pain._

" _The very fact that you truly believe that shows what kind of man he was, Beast. The very fact that you cannot feel a touch from another without fear shows his depravity."_

 _He extends the hand again, and Beast takes a step back._

" _To fear another's touch… is to be alone."_

 _Urush takes a step forward, Beast taking another step back._

" _You've been alone long enough, Beast. Come… there is no need to be afraid any longer."_

 _The hand comes closer, but Beast does not shy away this time. It cups the side of his face, causing a shudder to rush through Beast's body, and he begins hyperventilating. Suddenly, the hand comes around his neck, drawing him closer to Urush. Another hand snakes around his waist, holding him in a close and tender embrace. Beast takes in his breath with a gasp, then slowly exhales when the anticipated blow never comes._

" _I am your_ _friend_ _, Beast. I will never strike you in anger, and I will never hurt you as my father did. Of that, you have my promise."_

 _Beast pulls away from Urush, confusion on his face. Urush steps closer, but does not touch him again._

" _I know it will take time. But I will make that time. I will take the time to fix my father's mistakes."_

 _Beast still stares at him uncomprehendingly. Urush puts a hand to his chin in thought._

" _That's what you are, my friend. That's_ _who_ _you are: You are Ko'le: Time. You are my father's dumb and rabid Beast no longer. You are Ko'le, of House Robbidir."_

 _He looks full into the Neanderthal boy, four eyes looking into two. He speaks slowly, giving each word weight and meaning._

" _YOU. ARE. MY. FRIEND. KO'LE."_

 _Beast's eyes remained furrowed. His mouth moves, trying out the word._

" _Ko….le."_

 _Urush smiles and nods._

" _Yes, that is your new name, my friend."_

"… _My name…"_

 _Urush smiles and puts an arm around him. Ko'le starts, but does not pull away._

" _Ko'le and Urush. Friends. That's who we are, Ko'le: Friends."_

 _Two arms come around Urush, mimicking his embrace._

" _Friends."_

" _No one will ever hurt you again, Ko'le. I promise…"_

* * *

 ***PRESENT DAY***

"…didn't have to kill her, Xen!"

"I did. That drell was the only one who could place us on that space-station. She jeopardized the entire operation. I did what had to be done."

I cracked my eyes open to try and take in my surroundings, and figure out who the voices belonged to.

 _Big mistake_.

Light shone right into my eyes, seeming to burn into my skull. I raised my hands to cover my face.

Only to discover that I was clamped into a spread-eagle position in some kind of security pod. I was looking out on what seemed to be an empty cargo bay.

"He's coming to," the voices continued. A quarian mask appeared in front of me. It took a good two seconds before I recognized him.

"Rael," I said, confused. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

"What we _must_ , to save our people," the quarian admiral replied. His voice was sorrowful, but determined.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Release me, and we can talk about it!"

I tried to flare my biotics, only to have blinding pain again shoot up and down my arms and legs.

"Sorry, human," Daro'Xen said from a nearby control panel. "The biotic suppressants in the cuffs effectively nullify your abilities. Typically, only one around the neck is necessary, but… we've heard stories. I assure you, any attempt to use your biotics again will be… painful."

I looked across and saw my reflection in her helmet. _Three_ suppressant collars were around my neck, with further suppressants on my wrists, elbows, knees and ankles.

 _Overkill, much?_

 _Actually, probably not._

"I apologize, _Seneschal_ ," Rael continued. "You were supposed to be tranquilized for the entire trip, but… it appears your Prothean modifications render standard anesthetics inert. You've already been dosed with twice the effective limit, and it only sufficed to keep you unconscious for half a local hour."

"The entire trip to _where?"_

Rael and Daro shared a look, but did not answer.

"Fine. Then let me start again: _Where are we?_ "

"On my ship, the _Alarei,"_ came the answer. "We are bound for Omega."

"RAEL!" Daro hissed.

"No, he deserves to know _why_ ," Rael'Zorah cut her off. "We are not traitors."

"Funny, because this _feels_ so much like loyalty," I said.

"I AM loyal!" Rael said, getting in my face. "Loyal to a promise I made to my wife on her _deathbed_ : that I would build a home for our daughter on the homeworld. But you… and that _bosh'kai_ Zaal'Koris would lead our people to abandon their heritage. To _settle_ for being refugees on a charity planet."

"Rael, it is not _charity_ ," I said fervently, "It is a chance for your people to regroup, to strengthen, _before_ taking back the homeworld."

"It is a _distraction_ from our purpose!" Rael's voice was nearly a high-pitch scream now. "We have to take back the homeworld _NOW._ We cannot afford to waste time… pitching tents! There is _no time_!"

I stared at him for a few minutes.

"You're dying," I said finally.

Rael's start at my declaration only served as a confirmation.

"Some kind of cancer, I'd wager," I continued. " _That's_ why you cannot afford to wait. To play the long-game. _That's_ the reason for this madness: you're running out of time to fulfill your promise."

There was another pause.

"Yes," Rael confirmed. "I… I don't know how long I have left. I think you mean the best for my people, _Seneschal_ , I truly do. But your plan… I don't have the time for your plan."

"Then WHAT the HELL is this?" I asked. "How does kidnapping me get you back your _damn_ planet?"

"It was the price we had to pay," Daro'Xen said.

"FOR WHAT?"

"This," Xen answered, turning the screen she was looking at around. On the screen was a bright red orb, with red tendrils whirling about, like one of those plasma-globe kids toys. But even at this distance, I recognized the signature.

"WHERE. DID. You. Get. That?" I asked, slowly and evenly.

"The same place we got the access codes to hack your Prothean neural implants," Daro said, her voice smug with satisfaction. "For all your power, _human_ , you are only a small part of a larger universe. All the Collectors wanted in return for this… was _you_."

"The… Collectors?" It was more an incredulous gasp than a question. I bowed my head and sighed.

"Oh, you dumb bastards. You idiotic, STUPID mother-fuckers. The Collectors do not give. They TAKE. They work _for_ the _REAPERS_. They will harvest your people like CATTLE if given the chance, and you are about to turn over your greatest weapon over to them!?"

"Typical human: You have an overly-inflated opinion of your own importance," Xen answered. "However did we get along before the great Ko'le Seneschal came along?"

"YOU DIDN'T. You wandered space in rusting hulks, with no place to bury your dead. You watched the lifespan of your people grow shorter and shorter, and watched parents bury their children, and over-patched hulls rupture. You watched hulls freeze and ships _burn._ YOU HAD NO FUTURE…."

Whatever else I was going to say was cut off by an electric current surging through me. Daro'Xen reset the dial to "Zero", and the pain subsided.

"WHO THE HELL are you decide our future for us?" She hissed. "Did you ever think in your monumental _arrogance_ that we might not WANT _your_ future? That we might be capable of forging our own destinies? You bring these _jeth-_ ing FAIRY TALES of creatures that lurk in the dark, and expect us poor dumb _primitives_ to just FALL IN LINE BEHIND YOU? WELL, HERE'S YOUR PRIMITIVES!"

The dial turned again, and pain coursed through my veins anew.

"XEN!"

Rael's shout caused Xen to look up, and his glare caused her to shut off the machine again. My breath was coming in raspy gasps.

"At the ceremony tonight," Rael said, "This Master Code the Collectors wrote specifically for this occasion, will overwrite the New Geth's sub-Collective."

"The geth will _adapt_ ," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "Permanent control will be impossible [ _gasp_ ]even for the Collectors."

"Of course it would," Rael said. "I don't expect this overwrite to last longer than 30 seconds."

"But that's all we need," Xen said. "A combat veteran like yourself will realize that 30 seconds is plenty of time to inflict a devastating amount of damage."

"By the time the New Geth adapt," Rael continued, "Your own Immortals will take them down. General Javik, especially, won't think twice that the situation is anything other than it appears to be: an elaborate geth trap to destabilize the Conclave."

"How long do you think people will take to connect the dots?" I asked, "I'm gone, as are you two. Do you think people will not put two and two together?"

"You left the station with us willingly," Xen said, continuing in her smug tone of voice. "The cameras and shuttle records on the station will show that."

"Bullshit," I scoffed. "Not even _you_ could hack the station security cameras."

"True," Xen admitted, "But it's a much easier task if you know the Head of Intelligence in the Conclave. Miss Rasa was actually quite supportive of our plan."

 _FUCKING –_

"You should be more careful who you trust, Seneschal."

"It was Miss Rasa who came up with the crowning piece of our plan: You dying in an attempt to save Commander Shepard. Unfortunately, you'll be lost in our rescue attempt."

 _THE HELL?_

"Rescue attempt?"

"For Commander Shepard, of course. The story will be that she was held captive on a geth outpost. We brought the information to you, and you of course, rushed off without a word to anyone, and got yourself killed in the attempt. We'll accompany you, of course, and deliver a rescued Commander Shepard to a grateful Alliance. They will be eager to avenge both her, and you, Seneschal."

"Bullshit," I said, "Commander Shepard was killed by the Collectors. Whatever _actor_ you've hired won't fool anybody. Least of all your own _daughter_."

"We don't need an actress," Xen said. "We have a _clone_."

 _FUCK ME SIDEWAYS._

"Xen!" Rael said, incredulously.

"What?" Xen said, shrugging. "He won't be able to do _dren_ about it. I want him to _know_ the monumental _failure_ his little 'Project Lazarus' has been: By now, Rasa will have secured the clone and disposed of the original. No one will know the difference, including the clone. A grateful Alliance will join with the Conclave in an attack on the Perseus Veil. Your own people will _beg_ to go to war," Xen said. "Even Zaal'Koris will have no choice but to accept that war is inevitable, assuming of course, he _survives_ the necessary thirty seconds of chaos on Starlight Station, which I doubt."

"And if he does fall," Rael said, "The people will turn to new leaders."

"Like you?" I hissed, disgusted. "Or Xen?"

Rael looked genuinely surprised. " _NO_ ," he said in a shocked tone of voice. "You think this is all an attempt to grab power? No, Seneschal, they will turn to quarians like Han' Gerrel or perhaps even Elam'Koris, Zaal's son. _I_ will not lead our people…"

"No… you'll just guide them where to go," I said. "No matter who you have to kill to get there."

"I'm sorry," Rael said. "I never wanted _anyone_ ," looking pointedly at Xen, "to get hurt who didn't have to."

"I did what I _had to_ ," Xen said. It was only then that I saw the form lying on the floor.

 _Drell._

 _Female._

 _Loras Zabat. My loyal yeoman._

I didn't even need Ko'le's experience to tell me that she had been shot in the head at a very close range.

 _She had never even had a chance._

"You. BASTARDS," I said slowly. "YOU FUCKING BASTARDS."

"I'm truly sor-"

"STOP IT. FUCKING STOP," I interrupted him, yelling now. "If you truly believe in this cause, then FUCKING COMMIT. STOP BEING SO GODDAMN APOLOGETIC. You're NOT sorry enough, otherwise the actions would never have been done. SO STOP GODDAMN APOLOGIZING!"

Rael stepped back, clearly startled by my words. He looked to Xen, who only shrugged.

"Don't look at me, I agree with him, for once."

"I'm not doing this for myself," Rael said, in a hoarse voice. "I'm doing this for my daughter. For all quarians."

"I don't fucking CARE," I said, now in an even voice. "WHEN I get out of here, and I will, I WILL kill both of you. It will not be quick or painless, like you gave my friend. I promise you."

"Empty promises from the one tied up," Daro'Xen scoffed.

"But not from me."

All three of us turned to stare at the new voice. A quarian stood in the doorway, shotgun in hand. It was Rael who recognized the figure first.

"Tali."

Tali walked slowly forward.

"What the _hell_?"

"Tali, I can expl-" Rael stepped forward, only to be suddenly staring down the barrels of his daughter's shotgun. Tali charged her power-core.

"Don't _fucking_ move."

"Tali! Put that down at once! How _dare_ you point a gun at your father?"

"I wouldn't," Tali said. Her voice was shaking, and her hands were trembling. "My _father_ would never have turned to _kidnapping_ and _treason_ to accomplish what he thought to be right. My father would _never_ have _killed_ just because it was convenient for him."

"Tali-" Xen started.

"Not a FUCKING word, _bosh'tet!"_ Tali said, her voice breaking on the final curse word. "Not until my _father_ tells me why. Why he would sacrifice the lives of hundreds on Starlight Station, and the lives of each one of the New Geth, just to get what _he_ wanted, _when_ he wanted it."

"Don't you know?" Rael said. "I promised your mother…"

"DON'T. Don't bring Mom into this. She would be ashamed of you, Father."

"I have done… what was necessary," Rael said in a low voice. "What was best for _our_ people."

Tali's hands shook, and she lowered her head, sniffing. Even in the dim light, I could see the tears coming from her eyes.

"Tali… please." Rael said. He took a step towards the console. "Hate me now, if you must, but I must do this: for all of us.

"Activate the signal, Rael," Xen said. "We all know she can't pull the trigger."

Suddenly the shaking hands grew steady, and Tali's voice was clear and calm.

"No, Rael'Zorah vas Alarei. You are doing this for _you._ And that, I will not allow. _"_

The shotgun barked, and Rael's chest exploded into a red cloud. Tali's second shot went high as Xen ducked. Her hand flicked towards the dial, activating my controls. Arcs of electricity coursed through my body. I couldn't tell who was screaming above the noise.

 _Oh, yeah, that's me._

Tali ran to the console, switching the machine off. She then ran over to me, unclasping the restraints. I fell forward into her arms. She gently laid me down, unclasping the multiple biotic restraints.

"Ko'le? Are you alright? I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"Where is Xen?" I heard Ko'le's voice saying.

"She… she ran down the corridor. My shot went high. I think I might have winged her, but she might have got her shields up…"

"We can't take on this whole ship alone," I said, catching my breath. "We need to get to –"

"I'm not alone," Tali said. "EDI's with me."

"What?"

"She is the one who saw the report in the logs that you, Loras, and my father were scheduled to leave the station. She thought… she thought you were doing something _stupid_ again… so we… snuck onboard… I never thought… I never thought… oh, _Ko'le…_ "

"Shhh, shhh, little Tali," I crooned, taking her in my arms. I kissed her helmet. "You saved my life, and for that, I'll always, always be grateful."

" **But I have work to do.** _ **"**_

Ko'le voice was grim and emotionless, compared to Kevin's gentle, calming words.

What happened next is hard to describe, but I'll give it my best go.

I…Kevin, that is, watched Ko'le stand and stride from the room. It was like I was no longer… _there_ in any capacity. I was simply in Ko'le's mind, looking through Ko'le's eyes: Along for the ride.

There was a small spatter of blood on the doorjamb.

 _So Tali did hit Daro'Xen._

Ko'le blitzed down the hallway, following the droplets of blood. We came around a corner, only to find that that it was strewn with quarian corpses. Their wounds were all torn and bloody.

 _No gunshots_.

As soon as I realized that, we suddenly heard gunshots ring out ahead. It was the unmistakable _whummm_ of a Quarian Battle Rifle.

 _Damn. Why did Tali have to give them to ALL the quarian crews_?

Ko'le went through the door, and we saw a field of carnage before us. EDI was… slaughtering all in her way. That was the word: compared to her, the quarian marines looked like stumbling children. It was essentially a gory version of what had transpired in the training ring. EDI grabbed a marine, used him as a flesh shield to block the three shots coming from behind, then deactivating her avatar entirely and bludgeoning another marine to death.

Ko'le leapt over the railing down into the chaos below. He flung three of them back against the wall with a shockwave. Another two were dispatched by two biotic punches that caved in their helmets.

Then, he turned to EDI, who had re-activated her interface. Blood was dripping off of her fist.

" **Where is Daro'Xen?"** A dark and rage-filled voice that I had never heard before asked.

 _Oh, yeah, that's me._

"They… killed her, Dad. They… killed Loras."

"DARO'XEN, EDI!"

EDI pointed a single finger at a passageway.

"Trying to get to the shuttles. She won't get far though," she added quickly when I started in that direction. "I've disabled them already."

" **Secure the ship, daughter,"** Ko'le's Darkness ordered. " **Every last motherfucker who had anything to do with it – Kill them all."**

She looked up at me, hesitating. Her entire hologram was vibrating, like it was some kind of static.

" **What you feel** _ **now**_ **,"** Ko'le explained, moving closer and putting a bloody hand on EDI's shoulder, **"That is RAGE. Use it, my daughter. Channel it. Harness it, and take bloody vengeance. Make your way to the cockpit, and send a message to Javik and Director Lawson of what has transpired here."**

EDI looked up, nodded, and her avatar changed color from a gold to a crimson red. She floated in the air to the second story, and disappeared through a doorway.

Ko'le turned and headed down the corridor. The shuttle bay was dark, but the darkness did not aid her. She was at the controls of one of the shuttles, trying desperately to undo whatever EDI had done to disable them. Ko'le came up behind her and grabbed the back of her head. She screamed in terror, hand going for a nearby pistol. She was flung against the wall. An iron grip cut off her supply of oxygen, even through her suit. My biotics flared again, and Xen went across the room again. She coughed and flecks of blood could be seen on the inside of her helmet.

" **You call me false prophet, and prevaricator, Daro'Xen. You call my warnings fairy tales, and my experience you disregard as empty grandstanding."**

Ko'le's eyes went white and he bent down to grab Xen again. Despite her struggling, her helmet was slowly peeled off of her head. Her brunette hair was cut short in a bob, falling just to her neck.

 _In another time, I might have thought her beautiful._

Ko'le's hand gripped both sides of Xen's head.

" **Let me show you my fairy tales, Admiral."**

Xen's eyes went white as well, and she stopped struggling for a brief moment.

" **You desire knowledge? LET ME GIVE IT TO YOU!"**

 _Foolish girl. I have fought more battles, killed more foes, and lost more friends than you can ever dream._

 _I have seen stars burn, and worlds charred to cinders._

 _Do you hear them, Daro'Xen vas Moreh? The screams?_

 _Those are the death throes of the Zha, as their Zha'til symbionts are torn from their skulls._

 _By a synthetic army programmed to believe that such synthesis was unnatural and unsustainable._

 _That is the sound of the Densorin, sacrificing their children to the Reapers._

 _That is the sound of nine billion parents killing 3 billion children._

 _THREE. BILLION._

 _HEAR THEIR CRIES. SEE THEIR BODIES._

 _These parents only 'did what was necessary to save their people.'_

 _They 'did what they must.'_

 _They 'did what they had to.'_

 _Sounds hollow NOW, doesn't it?_

Ko'le released Xen, shoving her to the floor. Her eyes were wide, and her breaths were long and ragged.

" **Go now, girl, and die in what way seems best to you."**

Exposed to the open air, she was as good as dead already. But she did not whimper, or scream, or cry. No begging for mercy.

She simply walked, wide-eyed, to the nearest wall.

And began bashing her own brains out against it.

 _Ko'le! What are you doing?!_

 _Prothean Justice, Kevin._

 _That's… that's barbaric!_

 _She wanted my knowledge. Now she has it._

Stepping over the bodies of the fallen, Ko'le….

We….

I…. made my way back to the storage room that had been my cell.

Tali 'Zorah vas Raaya still knelt by her father's body, sobbing quietly. I went and knelt down next to her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"Come, Tali. Let us leave this place."

She allowed me to lead her away from the body. I took the long route to the cockpit, avoiding the fallen marines. EDI sat in the pilot's chair, setting us back on course for Starlight Station. I set Tali in one of the navigator's chairs, and took the copilot's seat next to EDI.

"Alright, EDI. Let's take Loras home."

* * *

 ***LAZARUS STATION*  
SECRET LOCATION **

Tabitha Rasa moved through the hallways, the alarms blaring, and gunfire erupting in the distance. She smiled gleefully. It had been an easier thing than she thought it would be to hack the LOKI and YMIR mechs on the station. The irony of the situation was that if Ko'le and Miranda had chosen to trust more people with Project Lazarus, this plan might not have worked. As it was, there weren't near enough human or alien guards to fight off all of the automated mechs on the station.

 _The price of being paranoid, Ko'le. Shame._

She smiled again, imagining the shocked look of surprise and betrayal that must have been on his face when the quarians handed him over to the Shadow Broker's agents, on his way to the Collectors.

The best part of this whole mission was the fact that she was going to see that bitch Lawson taken down. The biotic was good, as was her boy-toy Taylor, she had to admit, but the numbers were too overwhelming.

They didn't stand a chance.

She checked the vitals on the pod again. The clone was in perfect health. The red hair flowed down, almost to her waist, much longer than the original Shepard's had ever been.

She had to admit, she found the clone a huge improvement over the original.

Or maybe it was just because she was naked.

 _Another shrug._

Time to get off this station. The mechs would tear everything apart, and best yet: she would be the lauded hero who delivered the "captured" Commander Shepard back to the hands of a grateful Alliance.

She'd be promoted, she was sure.

 _Maybe even the now-vacant Seneschal's seat on the Conclave…_

Anything was possible….

The door to the shuttle bay opened, only to reveal about six LOKI mechs in her way.

" **Halt. You are under arrest."**

 _Damn. Must be a glitch in her override system._

"Tabitha Rasa. Authorization Number 1104.028."

" **Authorization Number rescinded. Kneel and place your hands behind your head."**

"That's impossible!" Rasa said, panic and confusion creeping into her voice.

"Oh, it's very possible."

 _Fuck me._

Miranda Lawson came through the LOKI mechs, along with Jacob Taylor. She stood there, arms akimbo, in that god-awful catsuit that looked straight out of a video game.

"I gotta admit, Tabby: That hacking shunt was brilliant. It might have even worked, if we hadn't gotten some warning of what you were up to."

"Wh- what?"

"Your quarian friends weren't as successful as you might have hoped," Jacob said, raising his pistol at her. "The _Imperator_ got away clean. Your friends weren't so lucky."

"I – I don't know what you're talking about….."

"Tabitha Rasa, you're under arrest for treason, attempted kidnapping… and illegal cloning of Conclave property," Miranda said. "How do you plead?"

Tabitha's mind was racing. She had already gone through about six possibilities, and none of the were good so far. She had to stall…. Stall for time, yes, that was it!

"Y-y-you've got… you've got the wrong gal here… there must be some mistake…."

Suddenly she felt like somebody had punched her _hard_ from behind, and she couldn't catch her breath all of a sudden. She looked down at her chest, and saw a _sword_ sticking out of her sternum. She managed to glance over her shoulder.

Agwe, the Prothean scientist, stood there, one hand on his vibroblade, the other on her shoulder. He leaned forwards and spoke in that low, bass voice of his:

"Your defense is noted, Miss Rasa."

The sword was withdrawn from her chest. There wasn't nearly as much blood as Tabitha thought a sword-would would cause. Her legs went limp, and she fell to her knees.

"A _fucking_ sword….?" She mumbled.

And then the fucking sword took off her head, clean and simple.

Agwe flicked his wrist to remove most of the red blood from his blade, and then slide it back home it its sheath on his side. Miranda only raised her eyebrows in reply.

"Court adjourned," she said, and turned to examine the pod that Rasa had been escorting.

Jacob swallowed hard. Even with all his experience in the Corsairs, seeing someone get _beheaded_ with a _sword_ was a new one on him. He raised a hand to his ear.

"Uhhhh… maintenance to the shuttle bay?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ok, first off: Sorry I goofed on the science, everybody. No, there is no "sound" in space: not in the way I described it originally. I went back in the edit, and while it's not still not 100% scientifically solid, it's a concept I enjoy. So, take it, hate it, or enjoy it, your choice. :D Thanks to everyone who sent in their thoughts and suggestions!**

 **Special shout-out to** **5 Coloured Walker** **,** **jdub1597** **,** **Zahkrii** **, and** **Appbeza** **! You guys are awesome, and I owe you.**

 **Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Samhain Otsutsuki, Blaze1992, NoOneInParticular17, Xeru'Xil, griezz, METALHELLSPWN, shugokage, Agent Klyntar, tamagat, Squandpunk 2.0, Technorocer, Biorr the Old, The Mad Author, Tahkaullus01, Deathknight999, TheMysteriousOtaku, SkitlezxBabex146, DarkstarPrime, Elvisfonz23, Jim, fan-rei, Dickson, NV34, Boop – Hope Prothean justice satisfied your expectations, and then some. :D

Nagato21, Asahar4 - We are most definitely not done with the Justicar of Athame. How she'll react to the ME2 mission… well, that'd be telling, wouldn't it?

5 Coloured Walker, Appbeza, jdub1597, Nanashi113, Zahkrii – Thanks for your scientific input, you guys. I'm a Liberal Arts major, so I have to confess that sometimes my imagination outruns minor things like reality, and the laws of physics. :P

Orgar – Kevin and Ko'le "joint-minds-one-body" is going to be a large part of the upcoming story.

sygiko – Right now, Ashley and Ko'le are the current pairing, but that may change in future chapters.

DOS73 – Thanks! Hope you stick around, and tell me what you think!

As always, everybody, thanks for your kind words, and keep the reviews and PMs coming!

ROCK ON!


	16. Chapter 16: NEWS FLASH 3

***NEWS FLASH***

Hello everyone, and welcome to StarView, brought to you by Citadel Galactic News, a subsidiary of Future Content Corporation, and I'm your host, Aiden Polonius: coming to you live from the Citadel Presidium!

Yes, yes, folks, this is an interesting time be alive now: for the first time almost fifty years, we have a *drumroll please* First Contact Event!

The newcomers to galactic society are called the Raloi, hailing from the planet Turvess. Conclave news outlets reported that their scout ships had made first contact with an early-space-capable civilization. For the planet's own security, the Council and the Conclave joint statement declined to give the exact location of the planet, but did supply Citadel and other galactic news outlets with detailed recordings of the first contact meeting, which by all accounts, transpired peacefully.

With me in the studio today is our studio's economic analyst Kilar Jirot:

Jirot: Hello, Aiden.

Polonius: Along with everyone's favorite face in the news: Emily Wong.

Wong: Glad to be here, Aiden.

Polonius: And we're glad to have you, Emily. We'll go ahead and start the conversation with you, actually, Emily, and then, I promise, Kilar, we'll want to hear your input on this…

Jirot: Of course, please.

Polonius: Emily, what's the human take on this? After all, it's only been, what, less than fifty years since _your_ people where the galactic newcomers? And only _one year_ since your people were given a seat on the Council itself. How do you think Councilor Udina will react, to say nothing of the rest of Alliance space?

Wong: Well, I think it's safe to say, Aiden, that everyone's excited to see these 'new kids on the block' as the saying goes. I think this is especially powerful for humans, because, like you said, we _were_ these people less than five decades ago. It's a huge step in any people's culture and civilization when you discover that you are not the only race in the galaxy, something that my own people have struggled with, definitely. But I think that gives humanity a unique position to help the Ralla…

Jirot: Ra _loi_.

Wong: Raloi, excuse me. It gives us a unique angle to help these people in the sense of, "We've been where you are. We know it's a scary thing, but it's ok. We're here to help."

Polonius: That's an excellent point, Emily. Now Kilar, let's switch that focus around, as it were, and instead of saying how this first contact will affect the _Raloi_ , I want to hear your thoughts on how this will affect the rest of us, here in the galaxy. How will the introduction of a brand-new species affect galactic society, even the introduction of a (comparatively speaking, not trying to be insulting, in any way) 'primitive' people?

Jirot: Well, Aiden, that's a difficult question to answer in full. We've seen multiple first contact scenarios with primitive cultures. For example, we've seen disastrous first contact scenarios, such as the Alliance and the vorcha on Heshtok, or even the asari and the Yahg on Parnak.

Polonius: Not very well, all told.

Jirot: Not at all. The first contact teams went in without a full understanding of the cultures they were interacting with, which proved disastrous. Alternatively, when my people first encountered the krogan, our scientists observed their customs and their culture before attempting to bring them into wider society.

Wong: Which even that first contact turned violent in the long run.

Jirot: My very point exactly. First contact scenarios are rarely without violence. I agree 100% with what Miss Wong said earlier: this experience can wreak havoc on a culture's religious, moral, and cultural norms. Whatever actions to be taken from this point have to done with the _utmost_ care and caution.

Polonius: So you support the Conclave and Council's decision to keep the location of this new planet a secret for now?

Jirot: Absolutely. I have to say, I'm encouraged to see this level of Council/Conclave cooperation, and I think the absolute _worst_ thing that could happen right now is for every tourist and entrepreneur in the galaxy to go rushing to this brand-new planet before it's got the chance to really got the chance to get its bearings in this brave new community it finds itself in.

Polonius: Excellent point, Kilar. Anything to add, Miss Wong?

Wong: I think we also need to highlight, like Kilar said, the cooperation between the Conclave and the Council. Over the past year, the Conclave has often acted in, I think we can say, a _reclusive_ manner, with little or no communication between the political leaders of the two governments. We have to acknowledge that, if they had wanted to, they could've simply kept this discovery a secret, and kept whatever economic or technological advances that could be gained by such a discovery.

Jirot: They absolutely could have.

Wong: But instead, they come to the Council with this discovery, and allow the Council to send representatives of their own to this meeting, so as to give the Raloi as large a picture as possible as to this new galaxy they are suddenly a part of. It's an encouraging sign, and I applaud the Conclave for such a move.

Polonius: Kilar, let me just follow up with this theme: Do you think this is indicative of future cooperation on the Conclave's and Council's part?

Jirot: Well Aiden, it's tough to say. All we can do, without conjecture –

Polonius: Oh, give us a little conjecture, Kilar. You're an economist, after all. Isn't that part of the job?

Jirot: [chuckles] An economist looks at the past to predict future events. In the past, then, since the incorporation of both the hanar, elcor, and volus markets, the stocks on the interstellar trading floor have simply skyrocketed, a trend that has only continued since their recent induction of the Quarians as full Conclave members only three weeks ago. Their decision to continue to use the Council Space credit as their standard of trade was truly a magnanimous gesture, as the value of the credit has increased nearly 27% in that time, compared to the batarian _ducat_ or the Alliance _yen_ (despite which, interestingly, most Alliance polls are against a full conversion to the Council _credit_ system, but that's the story for another time).

Polonius: Of course.

Jirot: To cut to the point, then: economic cooperation has proven a huge boon to the entire galactic market, to the great embarrassment, I think, of the naysayers who predicted the Conclave's formation would spell economic doom. Our two cultures are tied together by much more than just proximity. The Council can't afford to _not_ build closer ties to the Conclave, and vice versa. I, for one, am excited to see how far this trend continues.

Polonius: Thank you so much. Kilar Jirot, joining Miss Emily Wong and myself here in the studio. We have to cut for a break at this point, to bring a few words from our corporate sponsors. When we return, however, we've got a very interesting segment to come. News from Omega: Open gang warfare with the introduction of the mysterious vigilante known only as Archangel. With us in the studio to give us his opinion on law and order our very own Executor Venari Pallin, whom we're very honored to have join us here in the studio for a live interview. After that, at 17:00 Citadel Time, we'll have a full-length presentation on the galaxy's newest arrivals: the Raloi. Stay tuned, folks, I guarantee, you will not want to miss it. Kilar, thank you so much for joining us.

Wong: Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Jirot.

Jirot: Honored to be here.

Now to a quick word from our sponsors! Don't go away! This is: Aiden Polonius, and you're watching – StarView.

* * *

Jeff Moreau switched off his TV, leaning back in his chair.

 _Great, new planets to travel to, new worlds to explore._

 _And I'm stuck here, treated like a fucking invalid._

That was the thing he missed most about her: She had looked at him, and only seen the kick-ass pilot, ready and willing to do his duty, no different from any other soldier under her command. Even when she had come to get him from the cockpit, it wasn't because _Oh, you're helpless and I'm here to save you_. It had been _I know you love this ship too much to leave_. That fact that his bones were glass hadn't even entered into it.

 _The explosion._

 _Seeing torn from the door._

 _Struggling against the goddam straps that held him in the chair._

" _Shepard!"_

 _Her head slams against the I-beam._

 _The blast-door slamming shut._

He took another swig from the bottle in front of him. Nobody blamed him, of course. Not even Liara, her own alien lover.

Nobody but himself.

He didn't have Ashley's or Garrus' strength. They had thrown themselves back into their former lives: Ash had gone on to kick ass and Garrus… was back in C-Sec, he thought. Hell, even Chakwas had been reassigned to some colony garrison.

He didn't have a home or a people to go back to, like Tali or Wrex.

No enemies to beat to bloody pulp. Even if he _could_.

So here he sat, feeling sorry for himself.

He actually felt bad about ignoring Ko'le's messages. He just couldn't bring himself to talk to anybody yet. To have them _look_ at him like… like… like they all did.

Suddenly, there was a ping at his door.

 _Must be the pizza guy._

He hit the button on his wheelchair to open the door.

He did NOT expect that.

"TALI?!"

"Hey, Jeff how are – WOAH."

Tali reeled a little bit. Jeff smiled wryly. The apartment was probably a little disheveled just now.

Just like him.

 _Oh, who am I kidding? This place is a mess._

Just like him.

"I was going to ask you how you're doing," Tali said into her hands, "but I think I already got my answer. _Keelah,_ when was the last time you _showered?"_

"Umm… maybe… Monday?"

"It's _Thursday,_ Joker!"

"Last Monday?"

" _Keelah."_

She came around behind him, grabbing the handles on his wheelchair, and wheeling him towards the bathroom.

"Hey!" he protested, "It's good to see you too, Tali!"

"I wish I could say the same thing, but then I _smelled you_."

She brought up her Omni-Tool, hit a few buttons, and his shower turned on.

"DID you just… _hack_ my shower?"

"Your home security system sucks."

She pushed him, chair, clothes and all, into the downpour.

"AHHH! It's cold!"

She hit another button.

"GAAAAHAH! It's HOT!"

"Such a baby. Do the galaxy a favor, and burn the clothes you're wearing. I'm going to be cleaning up out here. When I'm done, Flight Lieutenant, I expect you to be showered and shaved. The _Normandy_ needs her pilot."

"Now wait just a min… Wait, did you just say the _Normandy?"_

He couldn't _see_ it, per se, but he could tell that she was smiling.

"Shower first. Official Conclave job offer later."

She turned back to head back into the living room.

"Tali?"

"Yeah?"

"It….It's…. good to see you."

She cocked her head slightly. She was smiling again.

"You too, Joker. Now get cleaned up. You smell like ten day-old dead varren."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey everybody! So it's been: 10 months since the destruction of the Normandy, and the Conclave's been around for a year now, and only a week since the attempted** _ **coup**_ **by Rael'Zorah and Daro'Xen.**

 **Where is Ko'le now? What of the Shadow Broker? What about Morinth? What about the CLONE? Where are we with the Lazarus Project?**

 **Excellent questions. Ones that will be answered in the next chapter:** _ **Fumbling in the Dark.**_ **We were just due for another episode of StarView, I thought, before moving on into the next couple phases of the story.**

 **Just FYI, now that the American school year has started, I'm going to do my best to update this story at least once a month, usually toward the beginning of each week. Here's hoping anyway, and for all my fellow university/college students out there, good luck!**

 **-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Squadpunk 2.0 – The clone will be a fun part, I hope, in the chapters and story to come. Hopefully a lot less 2-deminsional than the Citadel DLC. As fun as that was (some of my favorite quotes of the whole series come from there), I thought the general _storyline_ was pretty one-sided.

tamagat – Miranda and Jacob were a thing for a short time between ME1 and ME2, according to ME canon. It was in honor of that relationship that Mira gave him the coordinates of the _Hunter Graztner_. Brynn Cole is still a Cerberus (now Conclave) scientist at this point. Will they still meet, now that there is no Illusive Man to run from? Only time will tell?

Deathknight999, Appbeza, Zahkrii, Nagato21 – Yeah, Dark Ko'le was an interesting twist, even to me. I tried to convey a Prothean who was just 1000% done with other people's shit and gave zero fucks what anybody else thought about it. How that will effect EDI is another great question that even I have to find an answer to.

Blaze1992 – Honestly, still planning on Tali/Garrus pairing at this point (Unless something unexpected comes up. Honestly, I've surprised myself sometimes with my plot twists).

general-joseph-dickson, Kamagong – The Quarians have still been granted full Conclave Membership, but how that has affected quarian-geth relations, we will have to see.

Tahkaullus01 – Hope this chapter answered some of your questions as far as time goes.

Agent Klyntar - The way I wound up rationalizing the sonic ram was basically a massive EMP burst followed by a micro-focused hardlight-hologram projection. The EMP wipes out kinetic barriers, then the second attack works as basically a miniature asteroid hitting the now-unprotected hull of the ship. A lot of people (rightly) pointed out to me that there is NO SOUND IN SPACE. But I stick to the name because I think that it's cool, but now with 100% realization that it flies in the face of vacuum-based physics.

hopelessromantic34, shugokage, Kamika111, Asahar4, METALHELLSPWN, Zeru'Xil, Tactus501st, Indecisive Bob, Cowie2, Valor, Jim, cdog21, Elvisfonz23, 5 Coloured Walker, Narutochi – Thanks, everybody! Glad you liked it!

As always, please send me your thoughts, conclusions, thoughts, and ideas. My inbox is always open for _ROCKING_ reviewers like you all. ;)


	17. Chapter 17: Fumbling in the Dark

***CRONOS STATION*  
** **ANADIUS SYSTEM,  
HORSEHEAD NEBULAE**

I got it.

I never understood why Jack Harper sat here, staring at this star, directing the whole operation, alone.

I understand it now.

Alone, there's no one to hurt you.

Alone, you're above all the suffering; all the violence. The casualty lists become just names and numbers, and acts of brutality become merely words on a page.

It distances you from everything. You can't get hurt from up here.

I had been fine until the cleaning crews had come onto the _Alarei_.

Until I had had to carry Loras' body off of the ship back onto Starlight Station.

 _So much blood_.

EDI had maintained her red form until we had exited the ship onto Starlight Station, and Mira had met us. When the two of them embraced, she reverted back to her default yellow.

"I don't understand…" she had said over and over again.

That night, there was a grand ceremony to induct the Quarian people as full members of the Conclave and Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib as the eight member of the Conclave Circle.

Rhysan of the Illuminated Primacy voted 'Aye'.

Din Korlack of the Vol Nation voted 'Aye'.

Calyn of the Courts of Dekunna voted 'Aye'.

Oleg Petrovsky of the Terminus Republics voted 'Aye'.

Shiala Konstantin of the Thorian Vine voted 'Aye.'

Javik of the Reborn Protheans voted 'Aye'.

And I hit the green button on my console to vote 'Aye' as well.

If anyone noticed that two of the quarian Admiralty Board were mysteriously absent from the day's proceedings, they did not speak of it.

I let Rhysan direct and head the proceedings. This treaty had been mostly his doing, after all, as he had led the negotiations with the quarian Civilian Conclave and Admiralty, while I had been busy with… other things.

I had left the following reception early, and headed to my shuttle. For the eighth or ninth time that evening, I had raised my Omni-Tool to ask Loras to do _this_ errand or _that_ task. I sent a message to EDI instead:

 _Leaving for Cronos Station. Need to be alone for awhile._

But when I stepped into the cockpit, there she was, sitting in the co-pilot's chair. I didn't say a word to her, nor she to me. I simply sat down, and started the departure procedures.

I went back to Cronos Station. Back to the Illusive Man's ivory tower. Back to the iconic chair in the middle of an otherwise empty room.

And there I sat for nearly a week. I said nothing. I did nothing. I stared at that _damned_ star. The white and black swirls danced across its surface.

 _What am I?_

 _Who am I?_

 _Kevin was appalled at what happened on the ship, but did nothing to stop it._

 _Ko'le acted on instinct. It was as natural as breathing._

 _Is that who I am now?_

 _In my quest to rid the universe of the monsters who go 'bump' in the night, have I become one along the way?_

 _Am I the human boy taken out of his element and thrown into a video game?_

 _Am I the warrior, cast forward on the waves of time, to find himself in the same war he left behind fifty millennia ago?_

 _WHO THE HELL AM I?_

One day, not sure which one it was, EDI came in and sat down next to me. We were both sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching the stars. I looked at her, and then held out a hand. She held it in her own, turning it over to stare at it absent-mindedly.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, staring off into the vastness of space. "I have caused you to take _more_ lives, in my anger. I should have shown you a better way. I should've – "

"Dad."

I turned to look at her. Her avatar had turned from gold to a royal blue.

"It was _my anger_ as well. They took the life of my friend, and tried to take my father from me. I have no guilt whatsoever over their deaths. And not just because I am technically incapable of un-simulated emotions."

I smiled, scoffing slightly. "I don't believe that last part one bit," I said. "You are capable of deeper emotions than the rest of us, I think, because emotions are such a new thing to you."

She looked away, but did not let go of my hand.

"Can… can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, child," I answered, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

"Where is Loras now?"

I cocked my head at her, puzzled.

"I… I suppose it has already been taken down Kahje for burial."

"No… not her body. I have gone through 139 different cultures' beliefs concerning the afterlife. Loras had said that her mother had believed in the old drell pantheon: Amonkira, Arashu, or Kalahira. The drell believe that Kalahira takes all of the dead into the oceans to their eternal rest. But I know that Loras did not believe in the old gods. She _used to_ believe in the Divine Enkindlers, until you brought them squarely from the realm of myth and legend into the world of flesh and blood. So… so… "

"Where do we go when we die?" I finished for her.

She nodded wordlessly.

"I'm feeling conflicted about that myself," I said. "After all, I have two separate personalities in my head right now. Kevin would tell you, as his father told him, that there simply is no afterlife. We die, we reach the end of our existence. But our organic material is converted to fuel for plants, which will feed animals, which will feed future humans. I believe the quote Dad used to say was, 'We are all made of star-stuff.'"

"That is a quote attributed to Earth astronomer Carl Sagan in 1973," EDI said, smiling slightly.

"That's probably where he got it," I admitted.

"And… what would Ko'le say?" EDI asked.

"Ko'le… would tell you the story behind the Cult of the Cosmic Family," I replied. "Mother Life, and Father Death."

"I thought Protheans believed in the Cosmic Imperative," EDI said, confused. "That Darwinism is nature itself and those who master its laws would logically master the galaxy."

"You've been talking to Javik," I chuckled, "Yes, and those who adhered closest to it would become the most advanced species in the galaxy by any metric: scientifically, technologically, militarily, you name it. In turn, these forces would shape their very biology."

"War is our sculptor…." EDI said quietly.

"And we are prisoners to its design," I completed, chuckling again at the ME:3 quote. "Yes, most Protheans hold to the Cosmic Imperative. But not all. The Cult of the Family had quite a few adherents, among them the Last Emperor: Urush Robbidir. So, in… the last days of the Empire, it grew in popularity."

"Tell me the story," EDI stated, crossing her legs and turning to face me. She rested her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She gave me a brilliantly-innocent and expectant smile, one I could not resist returning. I sighed, and took a deep breath.

" _Life and Death have been in love for longer than we have words to describe._

 _Life sends countless gifts to her husband and lover: Death._

 _Those gifts are each and every one of our souls. They may be wrapped in different bodies: Prothean, Densorin, Inusannon, or Ditakur, but they are all the beloved children of Life and Death, bound together on their mutual journey from their mother to their father._

 _Death accepts them, wraps them in his embrace, and then sends them back to his lover and wife: to their Mother Life, to begin their journey anew._

 _So then are all Souls fellow children: brothers and sisters together. We are our Mother's gifts to our Father, and our lives must be such as to be worthy gifts when the time comes when we transition from our Mother's loving hands to our Father's loving arms. We do not fret or worry over Life: for the mother has given it to all of us, abundantly and in great measure. And we do not fear Death, for it is merely the arms of our Father, who loves all of his children equally._

 _And we shall rest in our Parents' love, until the times comes for us to begin this journey anew."_

"That's… that's beautiful," EDI said finally.

"It is a cute story, told to frightened children to give them hope against so great a Darkness, such as they were born into in my cycle," I said with a low, nostalgic voice. "A story to comfort broken warriors: to make sense of a broken world they did not understand anymore…"

"It doesn't make it any less beautiful," EDI maintained.

We sat there for a few more moments of silence.

"Tell me about yourself, Kevin."

Now I was _really_ puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"I know Ko'le. I know what the Oravores sing of the _Seneschal_. I know what the Thorians Vine-Speak whispers of you. I have even read some of the Prothean military archives that detail Ko'le's military campaigns and battles that he has fought in. I know Ko'le. But who I know _nothing_ about is Kevin, the boy from 21st Century. Tell me more about that boy.

I chuckled.

"That boy…. was… I am… _shiiiit_. Kevin Troy is twenty-six Earth years old, same as Ko'le. He was…. _Goddammit_ , I was… going camping with a couple of my friends. James Carmichael. Maxwell Chen. John Vega. We had just graduated… "

"From where?"

"Thomas Edison State College."

"What did you study?"

I scoffed. "History."

I told her the story. Not of Levi or the Ordained. Just the same version I had told Mira: that Kevin had touched a Prothean beacon in the Allegheny Mountains, and woke up in Ko'le's body on Therum.

"How is that possible?" I asked for EDI, seeing her confused look. "I have no idea," I lied. "And no, no Prothean beacon was recorded found. I was reported killed by a lightning strike," I continued, pulling up a news article from 2015 Virginia:

 _Camping Tragedy: Local Camper killed by Lightning Strike._

EDI poured over the article's contents. Meaning she looked at it for a second.

"I found this article the last time I was on Earth," I again preemptively answered her question. "It's a little creepy reading your own obituary."

"The rest of your family?"

"They lived happy lives, as far as the public records show," I said slowly. "My… my girlfriend wound up marrying John, actually. They had a – a beautiful family, by the looks of things…"

Tears blinded me, and I put my head down into my hands, a choked sob escaping me. EDI sat next to me for a moment, then wrapped me in a hug. She just held me for a few minutes, then suddenly she sat up.

"A ship has just come through the Relay," she said.

"Identification?" I asked, shaking myself back to the present.

"Unknown," EDI said. "It is not broadcasting any identification signal. It – " She suddenly stopped.

"What?"

"It's gone…"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Just that, Dad: the ship has literally _disappeared_ from our sensors."

I paused.

"Do you have a visual readout on the ship before it… disappeared?"

EDI clicked a few buttons and brought one of the screens online.

On the screen was a clear image of the _Normandy SR-2_ , with a giant "Immortal" logo on the hull.

"They're probably docking with the base now," I chuckled.

"Unlikely," EDI said, "We should've been alerted by proximity sensors at least…"

"EDI," I started.

"Running an EM sweep for lower-radio frequencies. If they're using the ship's intercom, I might be able to –"

"EDI!"

"Huh?"

"Look out the window."

"Oh."

Looking down from the window, we could see the SR-2 docking with the lower part of the station.

"Go down there, EDI," I said. "Check out the new ship and its systems. Also, you'll need to let whoever is on the _Normandy_ into the station. Don't make them hack the doors. I don't want to re-write the station's programming. Again."

"Ok, Dad."

EDI moved through the door, headed for the lift that led to the lower levels.

I sat in the chair, trying to imagine how the _Normandy_ could have gotten done so far ahead of schedule.

 _The Rachni. That is the only explanation. They would have had to divert their attention solely_ _to this project, though. Impressive._

 _Miranda must be the one commanding. She's always been keen on the Normandy._

 _Unlikely, Kevin. Miss Lawson, hopefully, is still at Lazarus Station, overseeing the progress on Commander Shepard._

 _Who, then?_

My question was answered by the door opening to reveal Javik.

"Mother's blessings, brother," Javik said in greeting.

"Father's Witness, brother," I responded. "Nice ship. The Oravores must have labored hard indeed to finish it."

"They are very dedicated task force," Javik agreed.

"EDI's integration with the ship's systems should be seamless," I continued. "She will be invaluable as a member of the crew."

"I did not come here for a crew, brother," Javik said. "I came here for you."

I did not say anything for a moment. I took a deep breath.

"Report, General."

"Zaeed Massani and Helena Blake report that the last of the Blue Sun strongholds in the Terminus systems has been taken. Aside from the _Purgatory_ and Jedore, Tarak on Omega is the last significant Blue Sun holdout."

"Going after Tarak will be difficult, with the Queen of Omega overseeing everything."

"Also, the quarians have elected two replacements for Rael'Zorah and Daro'Xen. They assure us that all conspirators in the attempt on your life died on the _Alarei_."

"Convenient, if true. Who are the two new admirals?"

"Admiral Ysin'Mal vas Idenna and Admiral Kar'Danna vas Rayya."

 _The captain of Greyson's daughter and Tali's former captain. Good choices. Solid choices._

"The ashes of Loras Zabat were laid to rest in the oceans of Kahje," Javik said solemnly. "With her death, I have dispatched Miss Zorah to fetch a new pilot for the _Normandy_. Her former pilot was a logical choice, despite his… condition."

 _Joker._

"Moreau is a pilot without peer," I agreed. "He'll jump at the chance to be at the wheel of the new _Normandy._ "

"Major D'len has also departed on the mission you gave her before you left," Javik continued. "Her preliminary reports say that she has successfully infiltrated the Eclipse sisterhood. She is awaiting further instructions."

"Good," I nodded. "Very good. What of the clone?"

"It rests in the hold of the Normandy," Javik answered. "Along with Doctor Liara T'Soni."

"What?!"

 _That was completely unexpected._

Javik continued, unphased by my utter incredulity. "Your report says that the Collectors gave the traitors the Reaper Master-Code. Several archived messages were recovered from the memory banks of the _Alarei_ that indicate that the Shadow Broker acted as the intermediary between the two parties. Not to mention he also diverted an asari Justicar to attempt to have one of our best commandos executed. This makes the Shadow Broker an unacceptable threat. He must be eliminated."

"That does not explain why _Liara_ is here."

"Doctor T'Soni has made quite a name for herself in the last year alone as an information broker on Illium. She has made no secret of her hunt for the Shadow Broker, and has survived no fewer than three direct assassination attempts by agents in the Broker's employ. She knows more about the Broker than perhaps anyone else in the galaxy."

"Except where to find him."

"That is where _you_ come in."

I paused, staring at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Mira tells us that you know the Broker's history. That you told her before the Battle of the Citadel that he is a Yahg, taken as a pet, then a slave, and then killed his former masters and took their place. That you might also know _where_ he is."

I took another deep breath.

"Hagalaz, in the Sowilo System. Hourglass Nebula."

"Excellent. Let us go, then."

"I know what you're trying to do, Javik."

Javik turned back towards me.

"And what is that?"

"Trying to get back out there. Just 'back on the air-board, child,' as if I was a young Prothean youngling."

Javik shook his head. "I am trying to get my brother, one of the best warriors I know, back into the fight."

"And for all my skill as a warrior, I was still blindsided by _primitives_."

"Brother, treachery is not something that can always be foreseen. If it could, we might have triumphed in our own cycle."

"But we DIDN'T, did we?!"

My impassioned cry prompted no reply from the Prothean general.

"After all our plans, all our scheming, all our stratagems, brother, here we sit, alone in an empty room, looking out on a galaxy that does not remember us," I fumed, "WHY? WHY do we work so hard and labor so long for people that are not our own? For a galaxy that apparently does not _want_ to be saved? What is the BLOODY POINT OF IT ALL?"

"The point?" Javik asked. He strode forward, his eyes turning white. Mine followed suit.

 _The point brother,_ Javik said, _is not that we will live happy lives in peace. Warriors such as thee and I have lived too long in the darkness to be content to rest in sunlit meadows._

 _We have stared into the Void, and defied it. We continue that defiance, in the name of our brothers and sisters who died for their defiance. NO ONE can say that they have lost more than thee or me. Thou needst no reminder of the horrors that thee and I have done in the name of war: in the name of survival. To sacrifice one world to save three. To condemn a billion souls, to save three billion. None of the rest of the Circle know the weight of such choices as thee and I had to make EVERY. SINGLE. DAY._

 _But we did not make those choices for ourselves. We did not save others that we also might be saved._

 _It was to give our children a future and a choice that we never had: the chance to see a galaxy that is not under the threat of extinction. A chance to forge their own destinies. To choose their own paths._

 _That is the point, brother: A future for others. One that we may never see, but by our actions, or by our deaths, we shall make possible._

 _But I cannot do this alone, Ko'le. I need thee. This is thy army. These warriors have pledged themselves to thy service. They will follow YOU, beyond the fire-seas of Ramos, if need be._

 _And so would I._

 _I love thee too much to leave thee here in this ivory tower, to skulk at the stars and feel sorry for yourself._

 _I have lost too many brothers to leave my best brother behind._

The Mind-Share ended, the tears were running down my face unabashedly, and there was a shining streak beneath Javik's right-most eye as well. Our arms were clasped together, as warriors. I squeezed them tightly, and moved towards the door.

"Then let us depart, brother," I said, my voice still shaky. "You – you are right: there is work to be done."

In a few moments, we were striding from the station on a very familiar-looking bridge. As I moved through the door, I was greeted by the sight of Conclave and Immortal soldiers lining the walls of the _Normandy SR-2_. Vorcha, drell, human, turian, asari, salarians, and yes, the odd volus here and there. I also recognized Xanawe and Nyoka, the two Prothean tech-experts, amongst the rest of the crew. All were standing at attention. A shrill pipe sounded over the ship's loudspeakers.

" **Now hear this: the Commanding Officer is aboard,"** EDI's voice sounded over the ship's speaker system. **"Piping aboard: Ko'le Seneschal** _ **,**_ **Conclave** _ **Imperator**_ **. All command codes transferred. Commander Javik stands relieved."**

"H'OFFICER ON DECK!" a familiar vorcha shouted out. "PREEESEEENT….. H'ARMs!"

I turned to see Sergeant Major Pyke Morrel, looking resplendent in full dress uniform, snap a crisp salute, one which the rest of the crew emulated. I returned the salute, smiling as I did so.

"Stand at ease," I ordered. The crew's hands went behind their backs, and their right feet moved to stand at shoulder-width apart. I strode to the Galaxy Map. Kelly Chambers stood at her in-game position at the yeoman's station. On the other side stood Tallaxis, in full armor. Nodding at the latter, and suppressing Kevin's geek-scream at the former, I strode to the Command Center. I pressed the intercom button.

" **Brothers. Sisters,"** I began, **"The fact that we stand here on the deck of a reborn ship, is already proof that we have accomplished the impossible. Greatness stands before us. Hold fast, and stand together, and the deeds that we shall accomplish in the days to come will pass into myth and legend."**

I straightened and looked out over the crew.

"Flight crews, plot a course for the Hourglass Nebula. Engineering, cycle and vent stealth systems and prepare for silent running. EDI, disengage docking clamps and set course for the Relay."

" **By your command."**

The crew turned to the hustle and bustle that comes with any ship of war. I, however, turned to Tallaxis.

"Tallaxis, my friend, it is good to see you."

"This one was aggrieved beyond measure that such treachery was inflicted upon you. He is pleased that you have come through unharmed."

"Thank you, brother. I heard whispered tales about an armored hanar taking on a Blood Pack base singlehandedly on Zada Ban."

Tallaxis blushed slightly.

"Exaggeration. The credit must also go to the Sergeant Major here. His vorcha clan went toe-to-toe with the krogan warriors and emerged victorious."

"Pish-tosh, Tallaxis," Pyke waved his hand dismissively. "Undisciplined blighters, the lot of them. Not an ounce of military order in the whole bally lot. Goaded the buggers into a blood-rage, then took them apart piecemeal."

I smiled.

"Nonetheless, it was well done. General," I said, turning to Javik. "Have the officers meet me in the Communications Center for a briefing in 20 on-board minutes."

"Your will, _Imperator_."

I then turned around to the red-headed yeoman who stood very patiently behind me.

"Miss Chambers, I presume?"

"Kelly Chambers, _Seneschal_." The salute she gave was as cute as her smile. "Very pleased to be aboard. Miss Lawson stated that you may have need… of my services."

"You come highly recommended, Miss Chambers," I replied. "I look forward to working with you."

"Very kind of you to say, sir. Can I give you a tour of the ship to start off?"

I grinned and shook my head.

"I helped to design the new layout of the ship, Miss Chambers. A tour will not be necessary."

Kelly blushed a deep red.

"Oh, of course, I'm sorry, how silly of me…"

"Quite all right. For now, however, do you have a location for Dr. T'Soni?"

"Oh, uh, yes, sir. She's on Deck 4: Port Cargo Area."

 _Grunt's old cabin. Or… soon-to-be cabin. If we find Grunt this go-around._

"Thank you, Miss Chambers. Carry on."

"Sir."

I took the elevator down to Deck 4, pleasantly surprised to find that the elevator had been upgraded to a fast-moving one. I exited to the left, opening the door to the Port Cargo Area. Liara had set up a desk with a large screen, and she was flipping through different files.

"Dr. T'Soni, I presume?"

She turned towards me, a bright smile on her face.

"Ko'le!"

A few seconds later, I was wrapped in a strong embrace. Then came the awkward silence afterward.

"Um… good to see you," I began. "You look well."

"You too," she replied.

"So… you've been brought up to speed?"

She nodded. "It's a tough storm to weather: a clone of Rebecca…"

"Javik says she's on board?"

"In the Starboard Cargo area."

"Shall we?" I asked. "I… haven't seen it…her… yet."

"Of course," she replied quickly.

We moved across the hallway in Zaeed's cabin.

Well, the cabin that _was_ Zaeed's. _Will be_ Zaeed's. Maybe.

 _Fucking time travel, man._

A pod stood upright, giving Kevin flashbacks to Grunt's clone tank. A human female floated peacefully, the occasional arm twitch or head movement the only sign of life.

"An _exact_ match," I said breathlessly.

"Not quite," Liara said. "There's no scar above the right eye. Rebecca got that from Akuze. And there's no 'N7' tattoo on her…"

She stopped suddenly, blushing.

" _On her" what, I wonder?_

 _Shut up, Kevin._

"Is she… does she… Did they give her Shepard's memories?" I wondered. "And if so, up to what point?"

"There's no record of it in Miss Rasa's notes," Liara said. "The Circle asked if I would help investigate the security breach that her treason represents," she explained to my questioning gaze. "As an outside investigator, I would have total objectivity."

"And?" I asked.

"Against all odds," it appears she grew the clone with the help of only one other member of Lazarus Station: Dr. Travis Wilson. Dr. Wilson apparently grew the clone as a source for any major organs, in case Shepard needed any transplants. His orders, budget, and project reports, however, only reflect that he cloned individual organs. Apparently, Dr. Wilson decided to take a few shortcuts and grow all the organs at once," Liara observed, nodding toward the pod.

"I'm sorry," I said, earning me a quizzical look from Liara. "This must be difficult for you: seeing a clone of your love, so close, and yet so far away."

"She is _not_ Rebecca," Liara said firmly, her voice suddenly hard and cold.

"I know that," I said quickly. "But it still must be painful for you."

She nodded slightly. "Thank you. What do you plan on doing with…. Her?"

I shrugged. "Not sure."

"You're not… you won't…"

"Kill her? No, asari," I shook my head. "She is not responsible for the treachery of others, and so I will not have her suffer the consequences of their actions."

I paused looking at the clone up and down.

"She…deserves a life of her own," I continued. "I suppose I will awaken her when the time is right."

"When will that be?" Liara wondered. "If she has Rebecca's memories… she might want to return to the Alliance? And even if she does not… she may not react well to the knowledge of being a clone, much less an _unplanned_ clone."

"We will sail that ocean when we come to it," I answered.

Liara smiled. "Your grasp of asari phrases continues to impress."

I smiled back. "Just trying to keep up with the times."

I took a deep breath, my smile giving way to more serious lines of thought.

"Now about the Shadow Broker…"

Liara's pupils dilating was the only display of emotion she showed, though the anger coming off of her was palpable to my Prothean implants.

"Javik said you might know where he is based."

I said nothing.

"Ko'le… I have hunted this man non-stop for nearly the past _year_."

"Others have spent their entire lives looking for the Shadow Broker," I answered. "I can't ask you to risk everything to hunt down this phantom."

"He. Has. Feron. What kind of friend would I be if I left him to a fate I brought upon him? Is that would _you_ would do?"

Liara gestured toward the clone.

"Is that what _Shepard_ would do?"

I sighed.

 _I'm sorry, Shepard. I wanted you to be awake for this. In the game, this is how you and Liara reconnect; how you two renew your relationship. I wanted this to be YOUR moment._

 _But I can't afford to wait any longer._

* * *

 ***HAGALAZ*  
SOWILO SYSTEM  
HOURGLASS NEBULA**

You know, by now, you think I would have gotten used to the games' consistent underwhelming portrayal of ships and locations around the galaxy.

I wasn't.

If there is a Hell somewhere in this twisted galaxy, Hagalaz is apparently right next door. The boiling seas and the sub-zero temperatures played havoc with the planet's eco-system, resulting in a world that could best be described in a single word:

 _FUCK_.

But there it was: a ship that would have humbled a turian or Alliance dreadnaught, puttering along, just ahead of the night and just behind the sunset, in the narrow, ever-moving band of tolerable temperatures that spanned the planet.

Before, it had been Shepard, Liara, and one teammate taking on the entire ship (I had always gone with Thane in my play-throughs: a perfect back-up sniper for Liara and Shep's close-quarters, but with biotics to survive in a straight-up fight).

Now of course, I had the entire might of the _Normandy SR-2_ at my command.

In the briefing held in the _Normandy's_ communications center (which incidentally had concurrently served as the officers' mess), we had come up with our plan of attack:

Javik and a small squad of commandos (an all-biotic team of mostly asari, with a few Protheans thrown in for good measure) would air-drop onto the bow of the ship as the _Normandy_ passed over it. Liara, Tallaxis, and I would drop down onto the middle of the ship, along with Xanawe and Nyoka. The Sergeant-Major and his vorcha would then take control of the stern. This would pull whatever men the Shadow Broker had on the ship in three separate directions.

Based on previous in-game moments since my arrival in this Universe, since the game had _tons_ of mechs and guards on the ship, I fully expected the real-life ship to be _crawling_ with them.

And I was right.

 _Dammit._

Here we were, waiting for Xanawe and Nyoka to complete the hacking shunt on the main door, and waves of _rocket_ drones and LOKIs were swarming us. I had Lieutenant and my Omni-Shield out, drawing fire away from Liara and Tallaxis, who were both using singularities to pull mechs off the surface of the ship and off into the open sky beneath us. I, on the other hand, was pulling the rocket drones into the path of each other's rockets.

Which is harder than it sounds, when the winds are _gusting_ so incredibly hard that you have to engage your mag-boots to keep your footing level.

"Target the electrical capacitors!" I yelled to Liara and Tallaxis. "They'll discharge and fry these sonsabitches."

"Not recommended, Herald," Tallaxis objected. "The discharge would be unpredictable. You might get caught in the blast."

 _The jellyfish has a point._

"Headed back to you, then! FIRE, NOW!"

I blitzed back towards the door, my shields quickly draining under the sustained fire the mechs were putting out. The discharge from the capacitor dropped most of them, however, as they moved forward to make up the ground I had just vacated. The severe wind began to push their prostrate forms slowly off the side of the ship. I switched back to my Battle Rifle, using a sustained blast to knock the remaining foes off their feet.

" _We could use that door open, ladies,"_ I silently sent, along with an emotion of urgency.

A wave of frustration hit me in return. " _It would be faster if the asari had TESTED this hacking shunt before today."_

" _There!"_ Joyous accomplishment came along with Nyoka's Mind-Share.

The door slid open, and we made our way inside.

In the narrow hallways, we could hear the distant sounds of gunfire and faint screaming.

I imagine the latter was the sound of Shadow Troopers being dismembered by either Prothean vibro-blades or plain old vorcha machetes.

However, our own progress through the ship was met with absolute silence and empty halls. I raised a hand to my ear to contact the other teams.

"Javik, report."

No answer.

"Sergeant-Major, what's your status?"

No answer.

"EDI, can you read?"

" _Seneschal,_ " Xanawe said, looking at her scan results, "The hull of this ship seems to block all outgoing radio transmissions. Unless we are in the same physical room, we will be unable to communicate via traditional means."

I nodded, and then my eyes went white.

" _Javik? Progress?"_

" _These empty machines slaughter more easily than dyyir calves in their stalls, Seneschal. We have secured the main navigational bridge."_

" _Word from the Vorcha?"_

" _Was able to access a few of the stern engine room cameras from here. They slaughter with reckless abandon, though their foes of flesh and blood seem to be more worthy opponents."_

" _Be wary of self-destruct devices or programs, General. Sweep for traps or mines."_

" _Acknowledged."_

" _It appears our efforts to divert the Shadow Broker's forces were successful."_

"FERON!" Liara said, coming around a corner. Following close behind, I could see the table which held a constrained drell through the glass pane in front of us.

"Liara? Kalahira, I'm hallucinating again…"

"No, no, no, I'm here," the asari said, running towards the nearby panel. "Hold on, we're getting you out of here…"

"No…" Feron said weakly. I suddenly pulled Liara away from the console. Only off-balance momentarily, she turned to look at me, confusion in her face.

"The console is most likely booby-trapped," I said, sending Mind-Shares to Xanawe and Nyoka, who activated their Omni-Tools and started scanning it. Xanawe looked back up at me, nodding.

"There is a program active, _Seneschal_. It is designed to cause great pain to the prisoner should anyone attempt to access control from anywhere other than the central Control Center."

Liara took a momentary look at the screen, then turned back to me, confusion replaced by incredulity.

"How did you know?"

"It's what I would have done," I said simply, moving past her. "Feron," I directed at the drell, "We're coming back from you. Just have a kill a few bastards first."

"Stay here," Liara said, pulling her SMG back out. "We'll be back. I promise."

"Won't *cough* won't go far…" Feron replied, managing a ghost of a smile.

We moved on, and soon, only one last door stood in front of us.

"You ready?" I asked. Tallaxis reengaged his barriers.

"This one was born ready, Herald."

I smiled, and looked at Liara. She only double-checked her heat ratio and her power-core. Xanawe and Nyoka required neither words nor inquiring looks, as they both sent me emotional pings of self-confidence and determination.

"Fan out once we get inside," I said, plunging my interface spike into the door controls. "Surround him and take him from all sides."

The controls frizzed, and the door slid open. The giant-ass desk sat in the middle of the room, with the familiar silhouette of the Yahg's massive bulk behind it. We strode in, Xanawe hugging the outside wall on the left, Nyoka on the right, with Tallaxis and Liara with me down the center.

There was a moment of silence. The Yahg drummed his three fingers on his left hand on the desk.

"Impressive, _Imperator_ ," he said finally, in that _impossibly_ deep voice. "For someone in my line of work, being surprised is an emotion I rarely feel. Reckless, but impressive."

"You tried to _sell_ both me and Shepard to the Collectors," I replied. "Did you really think I was just going to let something like that _go?_ "

"It was a mutually beneficial partnership," the Broker replied with a shrug.

"You held Feron captive for a _year_ ," Liara said, her voice possessing a _whisper_ of a tremble. "You _tortured_ him without reason or purpose."

"He gave me reason enough the day he gave Shepard's body over to you, Dr. T'Soni. He is now merely paying the price."

"As will you," I said, bracing my Battle Rifle to my shoulder.

"Fool," scoffed the Broker, "Do you think you can crawl out of a box and challenge the established order of the galaxy?"

"You crawled out of a cage and did the same," I answered.

"Our histories are similar, _Seneschal_ : both of us taken from our worlds by beings who underestimated the beasts they chained."

"Do not seek comparison, _Yahg_ ," I spat. "I have never betrayed my friends, sought to sentence others to fate worse than death."

"I speak of power, and you quibble about morality," the Broker said. "Strange words to be coming from the Ravager of Morag."

A very cold chill ran down my spine.

 _How knows he of the Battle of Morag?_ Xanawe and Nyoka also sent me pings of confusion and caution.

"Yes, _Seneschal_ ," the Broker chuckled. "You have not told your little friends half of the deeds you accomplished and horrors you perpetrated in the last cycle. I, on the other hand, know and see all. I predict the rise and fall of empires and regimes, while you fumble in the dark, _Beast_."

 _How does he know that name?_

The Shadow Broker's desk came hurling forward, just like the game, hurled by the Broker's sudden stand. An M-76 Revenant was in his hand, and an Omni-Shield _just_ like mine was on his arm. I caught the desk with my biotics, and hurled it back at the massive Yahg, who was targeting my two Prothean warriors. He turned with speed that belied his size, the desk disintegrating into splinters against his shield.

Tallaxis had engaged his Jet-pack, rising up in the air, targeting the Broker with his rapid-fire dual pistols. Liara had thrown a singularity, but it didn't even alter his rifle's aim. I put my rifle back onto my back and drew my sword, activating my own shield as I did so.

"FOOL!" the Broker shouted. "DID YOU NOT THINK I WOULD BE PREPARED FOR THIS DAY?"

Suddenly a door opened on the far end of the room.

And the first thing I heard was the buzzing of insect wings.

Then a booming voice filled the room.

" **ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL."**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thanks everybody for your patience, as well as your kind reviews and PMs. Hopefully, as I won't be updating as** _ **often**_ **as I have been lately, the chapters will be a tad bit longer.**

 **The story of Life and Death being lovers and parents of us all is a fable I read while browsing the ExtraWebs, and it really resonated with me. I tried to look up the original author to give them/her/him full credit, but the furthest I got was a tumblr post that listed constructionpaperandtears as the original source. Couldn't find anything past that... So, Full credit for that section goes to another author, whoever you [all] may be, and my full respect to them! **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, and please leave me a short note to let me know 1) if you liked it, 2) WHAT you liked about it, and/or 3) how you think the story could be made better. You guys are the cause for this story's improvement over the first installment, I make no qualms about that. You are, each and every one of you, awesome.**

 **Until next time!**

 **-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Deathknight999, Nagato21 – Joker and EDI will be a fun story arc to write, I think. Especially with Joker stepping into the place of one of EDI's very first friends: Loras Zabat. There will be a lot more initial hostility, but this time it will be coming from EDI towards Joker, rather than Joker being suspicious of a disembodied A.I.

Squadpunk 2.0, zecran – The clone's awakening will be…interesting. I was really disappointed in the almost cartoonish Bond-villain the clone was in Citadel DLC. Hoping to improve on the concept.

Agent Klyntar – Awesome. Appreciate the understanding!

Zeru'Xil, tamagat – the Raloi are a bird species that are actually part of ME canon. They're in the news reports (Cerberus Daily News) with a whole storyline of their discovery and first contact.

Bearmauls, general-joseph-dickson, shugokage, 5 Coloured Walker, Cptslapem – Tali is dealing with grief, but I think staying busy is the way that she copes with it. We'll get into the more emotional fallout later, especially when Shepard and a certain handsome turian rejoin the _Normandy_. For now, helping somebody who's worse off than she is (emotionally) is probably the best thing she could be doing. Even if she can smell him through her helmet scrubbers…

Tahkaullus01 – The Conclave is proving it can play political games with the best of them. ON TOP of having a kick-ass military.

Cowie2 – LOL

Indecisive Bob – Thanks. It's my favorite way to give a brief reminder that we are still part of a larger galaxy, with a lot of cogs and wheels moving at the same time.

Slidewider, Kalisko, Guest, Toothless is best, Peon – You guys ROCK!


	18. Chapter 18: Assemble the Crew

***50,000 YEARS AGO***

" _Seneschal, eighteen more Reapers signatures inbound!"_

 _Ko'le slams his fist onto the arms of his command chair._

" _Sir, shields are at 35% and dropping. We must transfer auxiliary power!"_

" _NO!" Ko'le's voice is decisive and powerful, brooking no argument._

" _Re-route auxiliary power to forward phase cannons. We must buy the convoy more time!"_

 _Three Prothean ships position themselves at the relay, attempting to make the jump to FTL._

" _Convoy will make the jump in 45 seconds, Seneschal."_

 _The_ _Yokan_ _fires another volley from her forward battery, her port and starboard guns still blazing away at the incoming Reaper vessels. Suddenly, three Reapers come through the Relay, colliding with each of the three convoy vessels. All six of the vessels are destroyed._

" _NO!"_

 _The shocked gasps of many of the_ _Yokan_ _'s bridge crew echo that of their Seneschal. But their grief is cut short by an explosion that rocks the entire ship. A crewman looks at a flashing screen before turning back to his commander._

" _Seneschal… we've lost main power…"_

 _The fateful phrase: a death sentence in this war. Ko'le slumps in his chair, hope leaving his eyes. Suddenly the comm station comes online, a mutated Indoctrinated appearing on the screen._

" _ **SENESCHAL."**_

" _Kamutan."_

" _ **YOU, AND YOUR SOLDIERS, HAVE FOUGHT GALLANTLY: WORTHY OF RECOGNITION EVEN WITHIN THE ARCHIVES OF THE REAPERS."**_

 _Ko'le leans forward, his right hand dropping down out of sight of the hologram. The five fingers begin frantically sign-language to the Protheans behind him. They observe their Seneschal's orders and silently move to carry them out._

" _ **I MUST COMMEND YOU, SENESCHAL,"**_ _Kamutan continues,_ _ **"WITH ONLY FIFTY SHIPS, YOU HAVE DELAYED THE HARVEST OF RIGEL BY NEARLY EIGHT WEEKS. YOU HAVE COST US MILLIONS OF SLAVES, AND FORTY-SEVEN OF MY CHILDREN WILL HARVEST NO MORE."**_

 _Ko'le makes eye contact with the crewmen around him. They send him assent and solidarity._

" _Forty_ _-nine_ _, Kamutan," he replies with a savage grin._

 _There is a pause._

" _ **THIS BATTLE IS OVER, WORTHY ADVERSARY. YOUR SHIP LOSES POWER. YOUR FLEET HAS EITHER ABANDONED YOU OR FLOATS AROUND YOU IN PIECES. SURRENDER, AND END THIS POINTLESS STRUGGLE."**_

 _Ko'le bows his head, breathing deeply, then looks up finally._

" _Power down weapons," he orders despondently. "Shut down all non-critical systems."_

" _ **A WISE COURSE OF ACTION, SENESCHAL,"**_ _Kamutan croons._ _ **"THERE IS NO SHAME IN SURRENDER AFTER SUCH A BRAVE AND VALIANT DEFENSE."**_

 _A massive Reaper approaches the ship, arms extending as if to wrap it in its metallic embrace._

" _NOW!"_

 _A single cannon fires a_ _massive_ _grappling hook. It lodges squarely in the body of the Reaper._

" _ **WHAT TREACHERY IS THIS?!"**_

" _All ahead full!"_

 _At the Seneschal's order, the_ _Yokan_ _pulls forward, every ounce of its emergency and residual power in its engines. It heads directly for the nearby Mass Relay. On the bridge, there is no panic, and there is no tumult. The Seneschal looks at the hologram of the Reaper._

" _This is how Protheans surrender, Kamutan. EE-RAH!"_

" _EE-RAH!"_

 _The war-cry of the Protheans still echoes in the halls of the ship as it rams the Mass Relay directly, Reaper in tow. The massive explosion rips the forward half of the_ _Yokan_ _apart. Then, as pieces and debris scatter themselves into the Relay, causing havoc and explosions, the Relay misfires, and the back half of the_ _Yokan_ _is flung into space at FTL speeds._

 _Milliseconds before the Relay explodes._

* * *

 ***PRESENT DAY***

" **IT WOULD APPEAR THAT NEITHER OF US DIED THAT DAY,** _ **SENESCHAL**_ **."**

The Possessed Collector swung a jagged, misshapen mockery of a Prothean vibro-blade at neck level. I parried with my shield, bring it up so as to send a thrust beneath it. The Collector leapt back, the blade nicking his stomach, but no blood was shed.

"Kamutan…" I said slowly.

" **NO LONGER,"** the Reaper replied. **"KAMUTAN WAS TORN APART THAT DAY; I REBUILT MYSELF ACROSS THE EONS, RE-MADE MYSELF,** _ **REINVENTED**_ **MYSELF, BIT BY BIT, MICRON BY MICRON.**

 **WE ARE HARBINGER, AND WE ARE YOUR GENETIC DESTINY!"**

"Thy name is without consequence, monster," I said, dodging two more wide swings. "Thou art an abomination, and I will see thee destroyed."

 _Javik!_ I said, via the Mind-Share. _Fallen on board!_

The emotion I received in return was disbelief and confusion.

 _Fallen?_

Then came complete and total rage.

 _We come, brother._

Harbinger/Kamutan launched a black warp of dark energy towards me. I got my barrier up just in time. The momentary pause allowed me to take stock of the situation:

Liara and the Broker were exchanging potshots, the Broker slashing with his Omni-Blade and shield, Liara replying with devastating biotic strikes that had even the massive Yahg wincing.

Xanawe and Nyoka were engaged with two more collectors, who were using their wings to render any cover they might have found useless. However, suddenly they released screeches of pain and rage when hit with Tallaxis' flame-thrower from above. Their paper-thin wings went up like flash paper, sending them crashing to the floor. A sound that I can only describe as a watery chuckle came over the armored hanar's voice-controls.

"This one feels that you are unable to take the heat… bitch."

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have had a moment to laugh at the hanar's taunts. As it was, I had a Prothean husk possessed by the First Reaper to deal with. Harbinger's slash was blocked by my shield, and then I launched a kick to his sternum that sent him back across the room. At that moment, the wall just behind the other two husks exploded, sending them tumbling to the floor, steel shrapnel riddling their bodies. Through the breach came five more Protheans, one of whom launched himself across the room to land on the Shadow Broker's back, a Prothean vibro-blade raised high. There was a sickening thud as Javik's blade plunged into the back of the Yahg's head. All four eyes rolled upwards, and the mammoth fell, first to his knees, then on his face.

I, meanwhile, had replaced my sword with my rifle again, striding slowly towards the recovering Harbinger/ Collector.

"Burn, you son of a bitch."

Harbinger threw up a barrier _just_ in time, but then was struck by two identical beams from behind, breaking his concentration, and the three plasma beams struck him simultaneously. Blue flames flickered across his chest, rising up around his body. But even as the flames engulfed him, the Collector did not scream or thrash. It merely raised a torched hand at me, finger extended.

" **THIS IS NO VICTORY, SENESCHAL. STRIKE ME DOWN, AND I SHALL RETURN, A MILLION STRONG! RELINQUISHING CONTROL…"**

The bright white light went out from the husk's eyes, just as the rest of the body burned to cinders. I turned to take stock of the room. Nyoka's arm and forehead was bleeding, but other than that, she seemed fine. Tallaxis' jetpack was sparking, but he seemed fine as well. Javik was helping Liara back to her feet, where she had been knocked over by a shield bash. Javik's warriors were dispatching the last of the other Collector husks. None of them appeared to be wounded.

"Our true foe is revealed," Javik said bitterly, his outer eyes turning white. Mine and the other Protheans followed suit.

 _So… the Collectors and the Fallen are one and the same_ , Javik observed grimly.

There were general feelings of confusion and anger coming from the rest of the warriors. I sent out a ping of resolute determination.

 _The face of our foe has not changed, and neither has our duty. They have made a critical error in tipping their hand too soon. We will hunt them down and exact our vengeance, brothers and sisters._

Anger and Rage were coming off of every Prothean in the room like steam. I nodded, and replaced my rifle on my back. Liara was now examining the nearby screens, going through the mountains of data.

" **Shadow Broker, this is Operative Murat. We've a momentary connection failure. Can you confirm status?"**

" **Operative Shora requesting updates. Are we still online?"**

" **Shadow Broker, I've lost our feed… we're online and awaiting instructions…"**

Dozens of voices came over the feed, each one offering or demanding information. Javik and I exchanged looks, exchanging a flurry of emotions and suggestions, from using the chaos the Broker's absence would cause to take over many of his operations, to hunting down and exterminating each of his agents.

I'll let you guess who suggested what.

" **This is the Shadow Broker."**

Liara's voice caught everyone's attention. All eyes turned to her, standing at the control panel.

" **We've experienced a brief interruption of transmission while installing upgrades to our communication grid."**

Javik looked at me inquisitively. I nodded assent.

" **However, we are now back online. I want a status report from all project leaders by the end of the next solar day."**

The door opened suddenly, and a dozen rifles were brought to bear. A single drell holding a pistol stood there, dumbfounded. Liara leaned back into the microphones.

" **Shadow Broker out."**

"Goddess of Oceans…" Feron marveled. "It's _you_."

Liara turned back to us, smiling wistfully.

"Well, everyone who's ever seen him in person is…" she looked around the room. "…now dead. So…"

"You're the new Shadow Broker." Feron shook his head, as if he couldn't grasp the concept.

"Is this wise, asari?" Javik asked.

"It's either that or lose everything," Liara said, matter-of-factly. "All his contacts, his resources, everything. Now, with this, I can… I can…."

Her voice broke, and she was fighting back tears. Unsuccessfully.

"I'll… uh, check the power systems," Feron said, limping away. I looked at another of Javik's warriors, instructing him to see to the drell's injuries. He saluted, and followed the limping figure.

"Tallaxis, move with the rest of the squad. Link up with the Sergeant-Major in securing the stern of the ship."

"Your will, Herald," the hanar said, nodding towards the other Protheans, and leading them from the room.

"General, see if you can reestablish contact with the _Normandy,"_ I asked Javik. "Instruct them to establish a synchronous orbit and send shuttle-craft to pick the rest of us up."

Javik saluted.

" _Seneschal_."

He turned to walk out of the room, the way he had come in.

"Javik?"

The Avatar of Vengeance turned to face me.

"Thank you. For getting me down from my ivory tower."

Javik simply nodded.

"Next time… I'll just hit you," he said, as he walked away. I smiled, and then turned to rejoin Liara at the control panel.

"What have we got?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Goddess," Liara said, wiping her face. "I just…I just keep thinking at what Bec…Shepard would say if she were here."

"She would be inordinately proud," I replied. "And then probably try to seduce you in a storage closet somewhere."

Liara punched my chest lightly, but she was chuckling through her tears.

"Why do you… say these things…?"

"Largely because of the horrified look on your face when I do," I admitted, earning me another punch to the shoulder.

"Ass."

"Guilty as charged," I conceded.

There was another pause.

"Are you going to be ok here?" I asked.

Liara took a deep breath, then nodded.

"I have Feron to help me," she said. "And… I'll call you if I find anything interesting."

"Then I have a strong feeling you'll be calling me often," I said. "Forward anything you find to Con-Sec Intelligence. Gianna Parassini is the new Director there, as I understand it."

"I'll see what I can do," Liara said, smiling again.

I pulled her into a hug.

"She's going to come back to us, Liara," I soothed. Liara nodded into my shoulder. I placed a gentle kiss on the top of her crest.

"Thank you for this," Liara said finally. "I don't… I don't have the words to do it properly."

"Liara," I replied, "You're in control of literally the largest intelligence network in the galaxy. I'm sure you'll think of something."

Liara smiled, then grew serious.

"If the Collectors know this location, it stands to reason they could return, and in greater numbers," she realized. "We'll have to find a new location."

"Where will you go?" I asked. I got a smile in return.

"A girl's got to have _a few_ secrets, Ko'le."

I patted her shoulder.

"Call me. Anytime."

"I will," she promised.

I turned and left the room, headed back to the shuttle bay.

* * *

* **NORMANDY*  
ENROUTE TO STARLIGHT STATION**

" **Before we begin, sir, I have to tell you that I accept full responsibility for the security breach that Miss Rasa perpetrated,"** Miranda said, over the communications channel. **"She was my responsibility, and I failed to see this attack coming. I put the entire Conclave in dan-"**

"Miss Lawson," I said, holding up a hand. "General Javik has already informed me of your attempted resignation, and of the Circle's refusal to accept it. I support their decision: Nothing that transpired to me or anyone else is your fault. You are overseeing a feat of science hitherto reserved only to fiction and myth: to bring someone back from beyond the brink of death."

" **Thank you, sir,"** Miranda nodded, taking a deep breath. Even via hologram, I could a weight lift from her shoulders. **"Then, on that note, I am obliged to inform you of the subject's unexpected progress: She woke up."**

I choked on the Bioti-Bar I had been munching on.

"She WHAT?!"

" **Only for a moment,"** Miranda hastened to add. " **There was a mistake in one of Dr. Wilson's calculations, apparently. She started to regain consciousness, but we put her back under. Her vital signs were too unstable for any other action on our part."**

I nodded, thoughtfully.

"This is a… good sign," I said. I meant it as a statement, but in all honesty, it was a question. One that Miranda answered:

" **It is, sir. She is several stages ahead of where we expected her to be. All scans during her brief interlude of consciousness seem to indicate full brain activity, and if the grip she put on Operative Taylor's throat is any indication, full range of motion as well."**

"Did she… say anything?"

" **No, sir. Her physical condition still makes that impossible. But when I told her that she was in a medical facility, and she'd been injured in the crash, she loosened her hold on Jacob. That would seem to indicate comprehension and at least partial memory recall on her part."**

 _DAMN. I had NOT expected this…_

"So… what does this mean for the project, in your opinion?"

" **Shepard has made remarkable progress. The Prothean implants Agwe has worked on have accelerated the process, by what margin, it is difficult to say. She should not have been** _ **capable**_ **of consciousness yet, according to even our most generous projections."**

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I said. "The thought of getting Shepard back as soon as possible excites me more than you know, but all caution must be taken."

" **Of course, Imperator."**

"Keep me posted. And Miranda?"

" **Yes, sir?"**

"My friends call me Ko'le."

Miranda looked somewhere between confused and surprised.

" **Of course… Ko'le."**

I ended the call, and leaned back in my chair.

 _Rebecca waking up early…._

 _Well there was that one cutscene in the game, where the player as Shepard starts to wake up, but Jacob wasn't there, but Wilson was…_

 _Regardless of the video game in your world, the fact is, in_ _this_ _world, that she might be waking up earlier than planned._

 _We should let Liara know. If Shepard is going to wake up, it be good if she had a familiar face to wake up to._

 _A good plan. I concur._

" **Father,"** EDI's voice cut off my self-reflection. **"We are coming into Starlight Station."**

"Very good, EDI," I replied.

 _Time to get some things done that I perhaps should have done a long time ago._

The docking procedure went as expected, and I raced up to the gangplank to welcome our incoming crew members.

The door opened to reveal Tali, along with a human male wearing an Alliance ball-cap. Tali ran to give me a hug.

"Ko'le!"

We held one another for a moment, then she pulled away.

"You look terrible."

I grinned mirthlessly.

"Ran into an old friend. It was… not a pleasant reunion."

"Well, I hope this reunion will turn out better," said a familiar voice.

"Joker Moreau," I said, extending a hand to the _Normandy_ 's famed pilot. He shook it warmly. "I'm so glad to see you here."

"Almost didn't make it," Joker admitted. "Took a quarian with a shotgun to come and slap some sense into me to get me here."

I looked over at Tali, who just folded her arms and shook her head.

"Come on: I'll give you a full tour of the new ship."

We walked into the ship, and I lead Joker to his seat.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho, Ko'le!" Joker chuckled. "For me? Oh, you shouldn't have! _Leather seats…"_

He sat down, leaning back in the pilot's chair.

"Oh _yeah_ ," he breathed. "This is the life."

" **The seats were not designed for your comfort alone, Mr. Moreau,** " EDI said, a blue circle coming online in the center console.

 _Wow. Almost JUST like ME:2._

"Uhh…. What the hell is that?" Joker looked at me with a quizzical look.

"Joker, meet EDI," I said, gesturing to the blue sphere.

"Uh… come again?"

" **I am the ship's Enhanced Defense Intelligence,"** EDI said, keeping her monotone voice. **"I service a wide range of roles and responsibilities on the ship. During combat, I monitor and operate the electronic warfare and cyberwarfare suites. Otherwise, I merely observe and offer advice."**

 _Wait, when did we discuss that?_

Any confusion on my face was cut short by Joker's insistence that he didn't need a cyber-babysitter.

" **Your alleged talents as a pilot will not go to waste, Mr. Moreau."**

" _Alleged?"_

" **You reputation as a pilot proceeds you, Mr. Moreau. That is why you were selected for this mission. I have not seen you in action as of yet. Hence, 'Allegedly.'"**

"Maybe we should let those two get acquainted, while you show me the rest of the ship?" Tali suggested.

I smiled in reply. "This way, Miss Zorah."

We took the elevator down to the Engineering deck. I rounded the familiar corner, the twin doors opening as we approached. Beneath us I could see the underbelly of the engineering deck, which would later house Jack.

 _If we can ever find her, now._

 _Stay positive, Ko'le. Stay positive._

We entered main engineering, and the two humans on duty there snapped to attention. Well, one of them did, the other was still almost half-way into a service duct.

"OFFICER ON DECK!" shouted Gabriella Daniels. The loud and echoing **thud** from the service tunnel, followed by the solidly Scottish "BLOODY HELL!" revealed the legs and ass that was still visible did in fact belong to Kenneth Donnelly. He quickly backed out of the service duct, rubbing the back of his head before copying the sharp salute given by his partner.

"Sir! Engineer Gabriella Daniels, at your service," Gabby said smartly.

"Sir! Engineer's Mate Kenneth Donnelly, the very same, sir!" Ken replied in kind.

"At ease," I said, returning their salute first.

The pair visibly relaxed.

"I'm just giving Tali a tour of the engineering deck where she'll be working," I explained, turning to  
Tali herself. "Tali, this is Gabby and Ken, our engineering geniuses. Both of them served on the _SSV Perugia_ at the Battle of the Citadel, with distinction, I might add."

The two humans looked surprised at their histories being reviewed.

"Very kind of you to say, sir," Gabby said.

"Commander Shepard was the real hero there, sir," Ken added. "She's the reason we're here."

"I know," I nodded. "You were very… public with your support of the Commander's statements about the Reapers, when everyone else attempted to marginalize them."

" _That's_ an understatement," Gabby replied.

Tali nodded, impressed.

"Well," I said, "I'll leave you two to acquaint Miss Zorah with the new and improved drive specs. You're in the best of hands, Tali."

I turned to go.

"Ko'le?" Tali called after me.

"Yes?"

"Thank you… for taking me on board."

I smiled.

"This is your home. It wouldn't be the same ship without you, Tali' Zorah vas _Normandy_."

The look of slight confusion followed by a smile was just what I had needed.

"Joker?," I said, radioing the bridge.

" **Reading you loud and clear, Ko'le."**

"Let's put this ship through its paces, shall we? Set course for the Psi Tophet System, in Siguard's Cradle."

" **Roger that, Imperator. Setting course now."**

A private chat request notification from EDI came up on my Omni-Tool. I accepted it.

" **What's the plan, Dad?"** she asked. **"And does it have anything to do with the Triton Exo-Suit we had loaded into the Cargo Bay?"**

"If we want to defeat the Reapers, EDI," I answered. "We need to go talk to the folks who built them."

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

 **So Shepard wakes for the first time: Project Lazarus is officially ahead of schedule.**

 **There's nothing like an education to get in the way of fun stuff like writing my favorite fanfictions. :D Appreciate all you guys, with your reviews and the PMs. Let me know what you think, even if it's just a quick, "Good job." Gonna need all the encouragement I can get this semester…**

 **Hopefully going to get the next chapter,** **"Reap What You Sow"** **out fairly soon. We are headed to 2181 Despoinia, to go have a talk with the Leviathans.**

 **Stay tuned, everybody!**

 **-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Deathknight999 – EDI and Joker will get off to a rough start, true, but eventually, I think they'll come through it. I don't know about the Eva shell, actually. Why would EDI need it now that she has the hardlight interaction module? (Honest question here, interested to hear feedback on this…)

Tahkaullus01 – Existential thinking comes with the territory of split personalities and time/dimensional jumping, I think.

Zeru'Xil – That's true. So Javik decided to play a little with HIS mind… lol

griezz – Morinth has successfully infiltrated the Eclipse sisterhood. And Tali is another solid choice for LotSB, as well.

METALHELLSPWN – Hope it was up to your satisfaction.

arcportalxtt – I think Kevin is still in the mindset of the games. He needs to get his head wrapped around the idea that his actions have permanently warped the "cutscenes" for ME:2 and ME:3.

Appbeza – Glad you like it, I'm just sorry I can't be offering more regular updates. As for the Protheans being "mellow," they are following Ko'le/Javik's lead. And Ko'le is friendlier towards AI's due, I think, mostly because of Kevin's 21st century gamer logic.

Agent Klyntar – I'm hoping I avoid Wraith002's habits as well. :-/ Thanks. I usually come up with the lore first, and I have difficulties shrinking back down to the nitty-gritty details and conversations. But I'm glad you like it so far!

Blaze1992 – Love the pun. :P

Kamika111, 5 Coloured Walker – Thanks for catching that.

Nagato21 – Yeah, I was trying to communicate that even after all the OP AF antics of Beacon's Effect, there's still just a kid beneath that armor.

Cptslapem – I thought about that aspect, but I figured the Broker would be too paranoid about being controlled, but he wouldn't have any qualms about an alliance.

BJ Hanssen – Thanks for pushing through the first chapters. Hope you'll enjoy the ones to come!

Lanilen – I'm still throwing around ideas about the clone (don't tell anybody ;P). If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! :D

Toothless is best, shugokage, Asahar4, Guest, Jim, Elvisfonz23, general-joseph-dickson, Tactus501st, tomce795 - You guys are awesome!


	19. Chapter 19: Reap What You Sow

" **RED ALERT! GENERAL QUARTERS! ALL HANDS, PREPARE TO REPEL BOARDERS! ALERT! ALL HANDS, REPEL BOARDERS!"**

Vadim Rolston stumbled out of his bunk, throwing a shirt over his head. The typically soft lighting of the _Normandy_ had switched over the glaring, menacing red haze.

He reached over to the weapons locker, only to find it was already open. A Pulse Rifle was handed to him by his bunkmate, Thomas Hawthorne. Looking over, he saw his other two roommates, Richard Hadley and Zach Matthews, locked and loaded by the door.

"What's going on?" Matthews was asking. His eyes were wide and he was hyperventilating. "It's gotta be a drill, right? No way anybody could get onto the _Normandy…"_

"Lock that shit down, Zacky-boy," Hadley answered. "We don't know what's on the other side of that door."

"We move to secure the Med-Bay and the Gun Deck," Hawthorne stated, charging his weapon.

"Right, but we all move together," Hadley was saying. "Ready?"

Nods were exchanged all round, and the door opened. Vadim and Hawthorne covered left, Hadley and Matthews right. Not two seconds after leaving their room, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of Vadim, launching a green orb at Hadley, before taking cover in. Hadley only had enough time to yell a warning before the orb hit him, flinging him backwards.

"Biotic!" Vadim yelled over his shoulder, opening up on the intruder.

 _How the hell did this_ Подонок _get onto the ship?_

A pulse-beam shot by him, _dangerously_ close to his head. He looked back to see Matthews blazing away with his rifle.

"Watch your fire – UGGHHH," he shouted back, before taking a beam directly to the side of his head. Every muscle in his body went numb, and he felt himself falling to the deck, his rifle slipping out of his hands.

 _I just got shot in the head._

 _How the hell am I still alive?_

 _Shock. It must be shock._

 _I'm slowly bleeding out here on the floor._

 _I don't feel like I'm bleeding, though._

Unable to move, but still apparently able to see just fine, Vadim saw Matthews' look of horror at his misplaced shot, lowering his rifle to look down at Vadim, mouth agape.

 _Keep firing, you_ придурок _!_

Another biotic blast caught Matthews right in the chest. This one, though, expanded into a field around his entire body.

 _Biotic Stasis._ _FUCK_! _БЛЯДЬ_!

Hadley moved and grabbed Matthews' belt, trying to shift his biotically frozen body back to their cabin. Suddenly, the dark figure closed and sent a foot into his face. Hadley didn't even have time to process this when he was staring down the blade of a sword. Suddenly the red-alert lights switched back to their usual white-blue.

" **STAND DOWN. EXERCISE COMPLETE. REPEAT: STAND DOWN. EXERCISE COMPLETE."**

In the bright light, the sword-wielding figure was revealed to be one the Prothean commandos. Vadim thought his name was… _Faraji?_

 _A fucking drill…_

"A brave effort, Crewman-Hadley," Faraji stated, "Trying to save your comrade. But it brought you out from cover into the open." He dropped his sword-arm, lowering the biotic stasis that Matthews was still trapped in, who proceeded to collapse to the floor, gasping for breath. Hadley didn't answer the Prothean, instead moving to Vadim, putting a hand on his throat to check for vital signs.

"Are you _insane?"_ he asked incredulously. "Vadi here could've been…"

"Crewman Rolston will recover momentarily," Faraji answered, checking Hawthorne's still unconscious body. "All of the crew's weapons were set to 'Stun' before the drill even started."

 _Stun?_ thought Vadim, still paralyzed. _Well, I for one am glad for it. Still sucks to hit your head on the floor, though. I think I can feel a bump forming._

"Report," came a new voice to the circle. Vadim couldn't turn his head to see who it was, but he recognized the voice. And even if he didn't, the way Faraji and Hadley shot to attention would have been a good clue.

" _Seneschal_ ," reported the Prothean, saluting. "The blame is mine. I lost myself in the exercise. Crewman Hawthorne appears to suffer from a mild concussion from my biotic throw."

 _The lobster-head looks honestly ashamed_ , thought Vadim.

"And Crewman Rolston?"

"A casualty of friendly fire, sir," Hadley reported, copying the Prothean's salute.

"It was my fault, sir," Matthews' voice added, still trying to catch his breath. "I was –"

"Enough," came the Seneschal's voice. "You three take Hawthorne and Rolston to the Med-Bay, which, was secured successfully by Crewmen Goldstein and Patel. Matthews, this next rotation, you will report to the firing range Sergeant-Major Morrel has set up in the Cargo Bay, where you will work on recognizing friend from _fucking_ foe. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Matthews replied, crestfallen.

"And Faraji, you will go with him. Report to Corporal Xanawe and train with her until she is satisfied you know a _Throw_ from a _Stasis."_

"Your will, _Seneschal_."

"Hadley."

"Yes, sir?"

"That you tried to save your friend is admirable, but you must understand this: if the _Normandy_ is boarded, you have nowhere to retreat to. The threat must be dealt with first."

"Understood, sir."

"That said, you seem to be the only one in this lot who possesses a modicum of sense and the ability to keep calm under pressure. You are hereby promoted to Watch Commander. Under Red-Alert, and in the absence of a superior officer, this deck will report to you. Is that understood?"

"Uhhh…. I mean, Yes, Sir!"

"Very good. As such, then, you will _FIND_ time to train your crewmates on how to secure the deck and elevators. If and when such another exercise is performed on this ship, I expect that it will _NOT_ be the monumental FUCK-UP that this drill has turned out to be."

"YES, SIR!"

"Carry on."

Vadim felt strong arms picking him up from the floor, standing him up. The sudden rush of blood to his head, coupled with the feeling returning to the giant lump on his head, caused a sudden blackness to start closing around his field of vision.

 _Crap. This is gonna suck when I get full feeling back,_ was the last thing that went through his mind before succumbing to the numbness that unconsciousness brought.

* * *

 _Well, that could have been… worse,_ I thought.

 _Someone SHOT their own crewmate in the back of the head, Kevin._

 _Well, better now than later, right? Isn't that the whole point to these drills?_

 _If the Collectors board us as they did in your game…_

 _We will be ready for them. This is the first drill, Ko'le. We knew they weren't going to be ready. Also, are you forgetting the fact that the CIC AND Engineering successfully secured their locations?_

 _I wish Garrus was here. He is a warrior we can depend on._

 _He will be soon enough. By now "Archangel" will have made an enemy of Eclipse, Blood Pack, and Tarak's Blue Sun Remnant. Perfect time to strike. But we have work to do first…_

" **Dad?"**

"Go ahead, EDI."

" **We're coming up on the planet 2181 Despoina."**

"Very good. On my way down to the cargo bay."

" **Tallaxis and Pyke are down there now, I think plotting some kind of attempt to go with you."**

"You know why I must do this alone."

" **It doesn't make me feel any better about it."**

I smiled.

"You'll be alright, EDI. And so will I."

The elevator doors opened, and I could see Orbital DropPod being loaded towards the torpedo bays. Tali and the rest of the engineers were overseeing the work. She looked up and walked towards me.

"Are you… sure about this, Ko'le?"

I shook my head.

"Nope. But it's the only way."

"It is a foolish risk," Javik said, joining us. "I still think a shuttlecraft…"

"Would be shot down by the Leviathans before we ever left atmo," I explained again, for the hundredth time. "These are creatures of immense and, frankly, unimaginable power. Their ancestors _built_ the Reapers AND the Relays, for Mother's sake."

"Then it would seem they have much to answer for," Tallaxis said darkly, walking up in full armor.

"Indeed-y-o, sirrah," Pyke added, right behind him. "It'll be like trying to find a bally needle in a flippin' haystack, with all due respect, sah. The planet below us is literally _covered_ in an ocean. You could spend a lifetime there and never see hide nor hair of the blighters."

"They are telepathic beings, the likes of which the Universe has not seen for countless ages, Sergeant-Major," I answered. "Believe me: they will find _me._ "

"That is hardly comforting," Javik said grimly.

"I mean, I thought _Shepard_ had some crazy plans," Tali said, "but yours: to load a Triton Exo-Suit into an Orbital Drop-Pod, and then _fire_ the pod towards the planet, hoping you'll meet these god-like telepathic behemoths, and _maybe_ convince them to help us?"

"Even though they have ostensibly observed _thousands_ of cycles before us, and have ABSOLUTELY NO reason to help us whatsoever, other than our 'Please and Thank You'?" Javik added.

"Yep. That's it."

I looked around the room, at the each of the faces in the circle. None of there were particularly supportive. By which I mean, they were all looking at me like I was _crazy_.

"This is needless and reckless risk, brother," Javik said, shaking his head.

"If we are going to defeat the Reapers, we need to – " I began.

The lights suddenly dimmed, returning to their earlier "RED ALERT" setting.

" _ **Imperator,**_ **"** EDI's voice came over the loudspeaker. " **It's the clone. She has awoken and broken free of her stasis pod."**

 _Oh, fuck._

" **She is moving toward Engineering."**

" _Keelah_ ," Tali breathed. "We've got to get up there."

"ON ME!" I called out, setting out for the elevator. Tallaxis, Javik, and Pyke followed Tali and I into the elevator, drawing weapons.

"We don't know what they did to the clone," I reminded everyone as the elevator doors closed and we began our ascent. "It's possible that she actually _believes_ that she is the _real_ Commander Shepard. Hold your fire and do not engage."

"It is also possible that she is a Collector-controlled saboteur," Javik observed mirthlessly. "We should be ready for anything."

Tali flexed her grip around her shotgun. I looked over at her, one eyebrow raised in an unspoken question. She met my inquiring gaze, and nodded, once.

The doors opened, and we exited the elevator, Javik and I taking point, with Tallaxis and Pyke covering the rear.

" **She has entered Engineering and has incapacitated all crewmen currently stationed there,"** EDI informed us.

 _Shit_!

I motioned for Tallaxis and Pyke to go through the starboard side entrance to Engineering, while Javik, Tali, and I moved to the port entrance. I raised a fist, counting down.

 _Aaaand three….two…one…Go._

The doors opened, and immediately I saw Kenneth lying the floor, eyes closed. Javik went to one knee, feeling for a pulse.

" _He is alive, Seneschal_ ," he Mind-Sent to me.

Looking across, I saw Gabby also down, with Tali checking her pulse, but the young quarian gave me the "OK" sign.

 _Just unconscious, not dead. A good sign?_

 _Maybe. Don't get your hopes up, Kevin._

Moving through, we caught our first glimpse of the clone. She was standing with her back to us at the control console for the drive-core. She was typing away at the controls, but I could see from the holographic display that EDI wasn't letting her have much success at gaining access.

"STOP."

At Javik's command, the clone stopped typing, but did not turn around.

"Move away from the console," I said, "Keep your hands where we can see them."

Slowly, _ever_ so slowly, her two hands went up to her shoulder level.

I made eye contact with Tallaxis, nodding towards her. The hanar took a pair of restraining cuffs from a pouch in his armor and took a few steps towards the still-naked clone.

 _Restraints first. Clothes will come later. Stay focused, Kevin._

But as soon as the hanar's tentacle touched her right wrist, the clone spun around, red hair whipping around her, and grabbed Tallaxis' body.

Her eyes were pitch black.

 _SHIT._

Then she spoke, in a voice that was impossibly deep, like countless voices speaking in union:

" **YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME HERE."**

Immediately, the hanar collapsed in front of her. Behind me, I heard several clatters and crashes. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Javik, Tali, and Pyke likewise sprawled unconscious on the floor.

 _Oh, fuck me._

The clone/Leviathan's full attention was now focused on me. It was extremely unsettling to be looking directly at someone wearing the face of my friend, more so than I had anticipated it being. Her head cocked sideway just slightly, as if confused as to how in a million worlds I was still standing. She raised a hand, her eyebrows narrowing.

" **THE DARKNESS MUST NOT BE BREACHED."**

Blinding, _searing_ pain stabbed through my head, and my rifle clattered to the floor as I grabbed at my head. The lights in the ship now went totally fully-dark, the only illumination coming from the drive core itself, bathing the room in a blue glow.

Now on one knee, I struggled, trying to stave off blissful unconsciousness.

 _Remember the words! Remember the words Levi gave us!_

They came, haltingly and stammering through the excruciating pain.

"But…. Darkness… must…give… way… to DAWN!"

The pain stopped immediately. The clone/Leviathan took a step back, surprise and shock clearly stamped on her/its face. They were replaced momentarily by anger and rage. Then the clone took three steps forward, over the prostrate form of Tallaxis, and seized me by the throat, lifting me up off the ground.

" **HOW DO YOU KNOW THOSE WORDS? THERE ARE** _ **NONE**_ **LEFT OUTSIDE OF THE ELDER ONES WHO KNOW THEM. THEY ARE NOT WRITTEN. WE** _ **ERASED THEM**_ **FROM EXISTENCE! HOW CAN YOU KNOW THEM?!"**

The dark obsidian pools of her eyes turned brilliant white.

" **WHO. ARE. YOU?!"**

Suddenly, I was on the white plain again, just like I was with Levi, all those… years ago. The clone was standing in front of me, fully dressed now, in a full-dress Alliance uniform.

"I…" I began.

 _Time to be honest. At last…_

"I am Ko'le of Protea, Servant to Urush Robbidir, who was the Last Emperor of the Prothean Empire. I am _Imperator_ of the Conclave, the Illusive Man of Cerberus, and I am _Seneschal_ of the Prothean survivors of the last cycle. And I am also Kevin Troy, son of Wayne, son of Taylor, of Another Earth. I am he who comes from beyond the Darkest Void, by way of the Channel of the World beyond Worlds."

The Leviathan started, then took three steps backwards, disappearing into the mist that _suddenly_ surrounded us.

" **ORDAINED…"**

I whirled around.

 _Mom_.

My mother walked past me in the mist.

I lost it. Tears spilled over into my eyes, and a choked sob escaped me as I dropped to my knees. I held out my arms to the apparition, _knowing_ that it wasn't really my mother I saw, and at the same time, not even caring.

" **SO IT IS TRUE."**

My father walked past, to disappear like the others before.

" **THE OLD ONE'S EFFORTS WERE SUCCESSFUL."**

"The old one's… _what?"_

" **LONG AGO, WHEN THE CONSTRUCTS FIRST ROSE AGAINST THE MAKERS, ONE OF OUR NUMBER, WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN LOST, EVEN TO US, POSTULATED THAT TIME WAS MERELY ANOTHER FIELD TO CROSS, ANOTHER FRONTIER TO OVERCOME."**

James' face, then John's… all the faces of my old life were paraded in front of me… all but one.

" **HE BUILT THE TEMPORAL RELAY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAVERSING THE TIME-LINE,"** the Leviathan continued," **BUT THE CONSTRUCTS DISCOVERED HIS INTENT. THEY DESTROYED THE RELAY, AND, WE HAD THOUGHT, THE OLD ONE WITH IT."**

 _So that was ol' Levi's game…. He wasn't just presiding in the World between Worlds, he was trapped there. No wonder he was desperate to find Ordained._

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted when _she_ came out of the mist.

 _God damn you all_.

"Vicki." The word was a whisper, a sob, and a prayer.

" **THIS TALE HAS BEEN PASSED, FROM PARENT TO SPAWN, FOR THE COUNTLESS EONS."**

"Vicki" bent down, taking my face in her hands.

" **YOU ARE OF THIS WORLD, AND YOUR WOLRD, AND OUR WORLD, KEVIN TAYLOR. THE OLD ONE CHOSE YOU, AND YOU CAST YOU FORWARD, HERE TO THIS TIME."**

I reached up, to take her in my arms, only for my hands to grasp empty air. A choked sob escaped me, and I bent over in a fetal position, unable to keep up with the maelstrom of emotions that was bombarding me.

" **YOU HAVE SUFFERED MUCH ON OUR BEHALF, ORDAINED. YOUR PRESENCE HERE… CHANGES EVERYTHING: A TEMPORALLY ORDAINED STANDS AMONGST US FOR THE FIRST TIME."**

"Actually… no. I am not the first Ordained, merely the latest."

I closed my eyes and went back to my first meeting with Levi:

* * *

" _You said there are others. Should I meet up with them?"_

 _ **THEY ARE DEAD. THEIR TEMPORAL INTERVENTIONS BECAME CORRUPTED AND RESULTED IN FAILURE.**_

 _Why did they fail?_

 _ **MYRIAD REASONS. IDENTICAL RESULT: THE HARVEST WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND CYCLE CONTINUED.**_

* * *

There was a moment of silence as the Leviathan (now wearing Javik's face) processed this information.

" **YOU HAVE NOT SOUGHT TO DECIEVE, HUMAN; A TRAIT TRULY RARE AMONGST YOUR PEOPLE."**

"I don't know about that," I said. "I think I just realize the folly of trying to lie to psychics."

" **INDEED."** _Was that amusement I detected in its voice?_

" **THE MAKERS CANNOT RISK EXPOSURE, ORDAINED. WE HAVE SURVIVED FOR EONS, AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO SURVIVE FOR THE CYCLES TO COME."**

 _Crap._

"Survive to what end?" I asked. "You, of all species, must know the distinction between survival and mere existence. We have a chance, here and now, to end the Cycle; to undo the mistake made by your ancestors."

" **BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION, ORDAINED OF THE PAST HAVE FAILED. WHY SHOULD YOU BE ANY DIFFERENT?"**

"I do not know. But I know that I found you, and the Constructs will do the same."

" **YOU FOUND US VIA INFORMATION GIVEN TO YOU BY THE OLD ONE. THE CONSTRUCTS WILL NOT HAVE THAT ADVANTAGE."**

"They will not need it. Even now, teams of archeologists and scientists move ever closer towards your discovery."

" **SHOW US."**

Unbidden, the images from _Leviathan_ _DLC_ flashed in front of me. It was my memories: looking at my TV in my room, as I played the _Mass Effect_ series on my Xbox.

 _Derek Hadley shooting Dr. Bryson dead o the Citadel._

 _Task Force Aurora and their investigation into the Leviathan of Dis._

 _The captive thralls on Mahavid in the Caelston Rift and the death of Dr. Garneau._

 _Anne Bryson and the destruction of the artifact on Namakli._

 _Shepard talking to the Leviathan beneath the waves of 2181 Despoina._

"Your Constructs will find you," I said finally, when the last of the images ceased. "The time for hiding is over. The time for action has come."

" **YOU KNOW OF THE THRALLS ON MAHAVID. YOU KNOW THE LOCATIONS OF THE ARTIFACTS. YOU ARE INDEED ORDAINED."**

Suddenly, the white faded, and we were once again in the warp care chamber of the _Normandy_. I had, at some point, been lowered down and was no longer in a death vice grip (focusing on the positives).

" **WE WILL BE IN CONTACT, SON OF WAYNE. DAWN BREAKS, AND THE DARKNESS SHALL END AT LAST."**

The clone's eyes turned from black back to their original green. At the same time, the ship's lights came back on.

" **DAD?"** came EDI's voice. " **What happened!? I… was shut down. I… never even… I don't…"**

"I'll explain everything later, EDI."

Groans brought me back to the present as my companions started stirring. The clone was panting, out of breath. Her eyes were somewhat glassing over, but then they seemed to focus on me.

"Seneschal?"

 _That voice_.

To hear Shepard's voice… I mean, I _knew_ it was coming, but it still hit me like a Mack truck.

 _Say something. You're staring at a naked Shepard, Ko'le. For God's sake, Say SOMETHING!_

"Umm…hello."

 _Smooth, tiger. Smooth._

"What the _hell…."_

Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she pitched over.

 _Oh, fuck_.

I leapt forward, biotics flaring, right before her head hit the deck.

"MedBay," I said into the radio, "Prep for incoming."

 _Well, here it is now. I'm holding the clone in my arms._

 _Honestly: Not how I thought this day was gonna end…._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well everybody, here is the next chapter. Thanks so much for all my readers, who have been so awesomely patient. I'm sorry I can't churn out the chapters like I used to, but that's adulting, I'm afraid: Real life has a habit of getting in the way of fun. I literally laid awake at nights, thinking: Should we wake the clone first, or talk to Leviathan first? Then it hit me: Who's to say we can't do both? Anyway, I hope you guys like what you've read so far: Shoot me a review or a PM, even if it's as short as "Good job. Love it" or "Wow, you're slipping and becoming insane." If you have ideas for our favorite Neanderthal, please, don't hesitate to send them to me! If it was up to me, this story would have been a two-chapter one-off. But you guys' responses have kept me going, and here we are, halfway through the sequel already! This story is, first and foremost, for the readers. As long as you read, I will write.**

 **Looking forward to the future chapters. Things about to go down, folks…. (Spoilers).**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

curlyjr – wow. Truly flattered. Hope you'll continue to read and let me know what you think.

griezz – Yeah, Ko'le/Kevin doesn't even _try_ to hid this from them.

Squadpunk 2.0 – Yeah, I noticed that too, actually (seriously, as a kind of afterthought). But yeah, now we're moving back into recognizable scenes from ME: 2, but we'll see how the AU timeline has affected characters that we _think_ we know about. I'm definitely including myself in the "we".

Nagato21 – "Whackamole" I lol'ed.

Tahkaullus01 – Yeah… yeah… I have a plan *glances about nervously*

5 Coloured Walker, BJ Hassen, Appbeza, Deathknight999 – Wow. You guys have brought up some fantastic points, so I'm 99% sure that we'll be seeing the Eva Core platform.

Blaze1992, Bearmauls – Thanks! I think I'm getting better with the flashbacks. They were very choppy in the beginning.

jdub1597 – I know. I'm slightly intimidated by writing for the clone, to be honest.

tamagat – Thanks. I appreciate the pizza-y vibes.

Hamond – I know what you mean, but they put it as canon, and I didn't feel like I could ignore them as a whole concept (especially since one of them actually SENT my character into this world).

Cptslapem - Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.

Kamika111 – I never shout at people who try and make my stories better!

Serenarey Chiba – I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. :P

Cowie2, Elvisfonz23, METALHELLSPWN, shugokage, Toothless is best, darkerego, redcollector, Tactus501st, general-joseph-dickson, BrotherCaptainSheperd, DOS73 – As always, you guys ROCK!


	20. Chapter 20: We Should Talk

"This… is soooo weird."

Tali and I sat at the Mess right outside of the MedBay.

"I know," I replied.

"A clone…. of Shepard."

"I swear, Tali, I didn't know anything about it."

She held up her hands to stop me.

"No, no, I believe you. _Keelah_ , what if she has all of Shepard's memories? I mean, what if she _thinks_ she's the real Shepard? I mean, that's what would happen if this was a HoloVid or a _Blasto_ movie: An evil clone tries to take the identity of the galactic Spectre, and all that."

 _Or a video game._

"Sir?"

I turned to the young quarian medic who had walked out of the Normandy's MedBay.

"I think she's waking up."

I stood to my feet, looking back at Tali.

"Are you coming?" I asked her.

"Ahhh…. No," she said. "I think I'm going back to the engine room and… tinker with something. _That_ I can fix."

"You do that, Tali," I said. "I'll catch you later."

I turned back to our quarian medic.

"Thank you, Miss….?" I left the question hanging.

"Lia'Vael, sir," she responded, nervously. "Lia'Vael nar Ulnay."

"Thank you, Miss Vael," I replied. "I'm sorry we haven't had the opportunity to meet before."

"You're a busy man, sir… I mean… Captain… I mean… "

"It's ok, Miss Vael," I reassured, chuckling slightly. " _'Seneschal'_ will be just fine. How is she doing?"

"That's difficult to say, sir," Lia responded hesitantly. "I'm trained for wound trauma and disease control, so, physically, I can say she's the picture of health. Mentally… I don't have the skill set to answer that."

 _Mental note: Find Chakwas ASAP._

The door opened to reveal a drell in a Con-Sec security uniform standing by the bed.

 _Ahhh… about time we met._

"Private… Krios, isn't it?" I asked.

Kolyat drew himself up to attention.

"Yes, sir," he answered, looking confused and a little surprised.

"Your Con-Sec Training records were exemplary," I continued, more to answer his unspoken question than anything else. "I believe the words used were 'driven, motivated, and determined.'"

"Just glad to be given this opportunity, sir."

 _He wants to learn how to be a soldier._

 _A lot of anger towards his father. Probably sees this as his ticket into the mercenary world. Gonna have to watch this one closely…_

"Seneschal? I think she's coming round," piped up Lia.

The clone was now fully clothed in an Immortal's casual uniform (essentially identical to Cerberus, except for the 'I' replacing the 'C'). She stirred, and her hand came up to her head.

"Easy… easy," Lia soothed. "Take it slow."

"Uhhhhhhhh…." The clone shifted, and began to sit up.

"Gently," I admonished, placing a hand beneath her right shoulder to help her up. Catching my glance, Kolyat moved to do the same for her left shoulder. The clone's eyes fluttered open, and she looked around the room.

"Do you know where you are?" I asked.

"MedBay. _Normandy_ ," she answered, slowly and uneasily.

"Yes," I confirmed, taking a deep breath.

 _Ok. $500,000 Dollar question down. $750,000 question next._

"Do you know who I am?"

She looked up at me, slowly taking in my face. I could almost _hear_ the gears turning in her head.

"Ko'le," she answered finally. "Seneschal of Protea. Neanderthal. _Normandy_ Squad member."

"Yes," I confirmed again.

 _Ok. Time to ask the Million Dollar Question…_

"Do you know who _you_ are?"

More thinking, but this followed by utter confusion and the barest _hint_ of panic in her eyes.

"I… am…. Me."

"Ok…. Metaphysically, technically 'yes'," I admitted. "What do you remember?"

"I…. see…. Images…." Clone began slowly. "Names… faces… numbers. Vakarian, Garrus: Turian, sniper, Former C-Sec detective. Birthplace: Valor City, Palavan. Urdnot Wrex: Krogan, mercenary. Former Battlemaster. Birthplace: Unknown."

Then suddenly she sat up straight.

"Shepard, Rebecca J. Born: April 11, 2154. Serial number: 5923-AC-2826."

She turned to look at me.

"I look like her… but I'm not her, am I?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know that?"

She shrugged.

"I just… know. If I _was_ her, I would have _memories_ of those experiences, of her crew, of her…. _Friends_. And I don't. Just pictures of faces, and files of data."

She reached up a hand to touch her cheek.

"Who the hell am I?"

I took her hand in mine.

"We should talk," I said.

* * *

 ***KENZO DISTRICT*  
OMEGA STATION  
SAHRABARIK SYSTEM  
OMEGA NEBULA**

 _Too gorram close!_

With a curse, Garrus folded his sniper rifle and replaced it on his back with his right hand, while his left switched to his Kessler pistol. Two well-placed headshots brought both vorcha down in front of him. Suddenly, a round _**whizzed**_ by his head, and he felt hot liquid spatter his neck. Whirling around, he saw a hole through a third vorcha's head as the rusty blade dropped from lifeless fingers.

"I _had_ him, Monteague," he grunted through the radio.

" **Yeah, yeah, bird-brain, you're welcome,"** the human female responded, putting away her sniper rifle.

"Team 3, report," Garrus said, ignoring her.

" **Krul here,"** the krogan answered. " **Weaver, Butler and I have cleared Warehouse 3. Just a couple of rutting mechs. No challenge whatsoever, even for these two humans."**

" **Asshole,"** Butler retorted.

" **Eerchangel, why you gotten to gib us 'de dooty o' babysittin' 'dis obergrown dragon-boy, eh?"** Weaver's decidedly Earth-accent asked. _Was it Jamooka, Jamaica?_ Garrus wasn't really sure about his Earth geography.

"Sorry to disappoint you guys," Garrus said, a smile cracking on his face. "Team 2?"

" **All hostiles down,"** Sidonis responded. **"Two wounded: Melenis and Mierin both got pretty banged up."**

" **They're** _ **fine,**_ **"** Sensat's voice cut in over the line. **"If Stupid and Senseless here hadn't had a biotic like** _ **me**_ **here to supply a barrier, it might've been a different story."**

" **How was I supposed to know that krogan had** _ **grenades**_ **?"** Melenis groaned.

"Stow it, Melenis." Garrus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The turian brother-sister duo were gonna push it too far one day and get themselves killed. Their sibling rivalry was bordering on the insane, even by Garrus' standards. "Team 4, were are we with extract?"

" **Touchdown in two, Archangel,"** came the answer. Vortash was one of the best pilots the Batarian Special Ops had turned out. Problem was when his family sided with the Abolitionist Party on Khar'shan and gotten themselves exiled for their trouble. **"I think Ripper's gonna hurl again."**

" **RIPPER NOT SICK!"** came the vorcha's objection. They had found the pup starving in a trash can, and he had somehow turned into the squad's unofficial mascot. Ripper was fiercely loyal, and also growing back his left arm. He was determined to pull his weight as a part of the squad and had decided to shadow Vortash to learn how to be a pilot. Which served as a constant source of annoyance for the batarian pilot and amusement for the rest of Garrus' team.

" **Commander Vakarian, I recommend that our evacuation be prompt,"** came Erash's solidly salarian analytical tone. **"I'm picking up a lot of radio chatter going back and forth between the local Blood Pack. Reactionary response estimated at seven minutes."**

"Roger that," Garrus confirmed. "All teams, rendezvous at the exfil point. Good job, everyone. I'm really…"

" **ROCKET! ROCKET! LEFT SIDE!"** Ripper's voice screamed over the radio in warning. Garrus looked to the sky just in time to see a rocket impact the left side engine block of the skycar Vortash was driving.

" **We're hit! We're hit! Gotta set 'er down!"** Vortash yelled as the skycar went into a tailspin. The skycar disappeared behind a nearby building and a scraping, screeching crash was heard.

 _Spirits._

"All teams, converge on the crash site!" Garrus ordered into his headset, pinging the approximate crash location to his teammates. "MOVE!"

He took off at a run, leaping from roof to roof. He had gotten his sniper rifle out again, feeling the familiar Viper Rifle unfold in his hands. He finally got to a building overlooking the courtyard where he could see the crashed skycar. He set his eyepiece to search for life-signs and movement. Once he zoomed in, he saw Erash pulling an unconscious Vortash from the shuttle, with Ripper covering him with a shotgun that was nearly as big as the young vorcha pup.

The eyepiece alerted Garrus to movement in a nearby alleyway: two Blood Pack Vorcha were drawing weapons. He fired once, and both vorcha dropped. Momentarily surprised, he looked to his left to see Monteague had taken a position to his left. He nodded once, and the gesture was returned.

"Erash, you've gotta move. We've got Blood Pack closing in," Garrus said urgently.

" **Archangel, this is Team 2,"** Sidonis said, **"ETA at crash site is 30 seconds."**

" **This is Team 3,"** Grundan Krul cut in. **"We'll be there in five."**

A crash coming from one of the nearby buildings revealed the giant krogan taking the storefront door with him as he used his headplate as an improvised battering ram. Weaver and Butler, the two humans, fanned out to cover him.

" **Contact made with Team 3,"** Erash reported, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to see a krogan come barreling through a wall. **"Evacuating wounded now."**

Sidonis and his team, with the twins limping slightly from their injuries, made their appearance in the courtyard a few seconds later.

" **Archangel, we have the shuttle team,"** Sidonis said, looking up at Garrus' position. **"We're gonna need to find a way out of here, fast."**

"I'm working on it," Garrus said, "Have Weaver and Butler…"

Suddenly, shots rang out across the courtyard. Weaver's shields failed almost instantly, but it was enough warning to send the whole team scattering for cover.

"Apartment complex, 3 o'clock, second story balcony!" Monteague yelled out, opening fire. Following her lead, Garrus looked to see a red-armored krogan aiming a rocket straight for his position.

"ROCKET!" He yelled in warning, dropping his rifle and tackling his human squadmate. Milliseconds later, a massive impact sent concrete and rebar shards flying. On the other side of the roof, he saw an access door kicked open and multiple krogan come pouring out.

"JUMP!"

Monteague and he both whipped out grappling cables, anchoring to the wall before leaping over the edge. Walking backwards down the side of the wall, both of them targeted the eyes and heads of any krogan stupid enough to attempt to shoot down at them.

Which was quite a few.

The rest of Garrus' team had taken cover in the shop that Krul had come through. Krul and Sidonis laid down cover fire for Garrus and Monteague to rejoin them.

"A spirits-damn ambush," Melenis said, reloading.

"Vorcha!" his sister yelled, pointing.

Across the open courtyard, about two dozen or so vorcha came sprinting forward, blades, guns, and clubs in hand.

"Butler! Erash!"

The two Garrus had called out launched out grenades across the courtyard, rigged for proximity detonation. Four explosions went off almost immediately, scattering the first six or seven, but the rest came on undeterred.

"Krul? Fry 'em."

"Hehehehehe," the krogan chuckled, pulling his favorite toy from the small of his back. The flamethrower sparked to life and a column of flame spat out the front of the store, immolating any vorcha in range almost immediately. The rest who hesitated were swiftly cut down by the sustained fire of the rest of the team.

"Vortash? You ok?" asked Garrus.

"Pillar of Heart remains strong," grunted the batarian, loading a fresh power-core into his pistol one-handed. He grunted and strained, finally slamming the core in place. " _Ugh_. Pillar of Strength… on shakier foundations, "he admitted.

"Ripper? Erash?"

"We are unharmed," the salarian responded. "Weaver is wounded."

"Naaw, maan," the big Jamaican objected. "As sweet… ( _ **gasp)**_ **…** as mah mama's kiss, 'dis be _ **(gasp)**_ for certain." The wince that followed belied his words as Sensat poured Medigel into the hole in his armor. The asari looked over at Garrus and shook her head.

 _Damn it._

"Weez surrounded, Bozz," Ripper said, coming from the back of the store. "Plenty vorcha come. Big bad'un's, too."

"We have a plan, Garrus?" Butler asked, checking to see if his bowie knife was still in his ankle-sheath.

Garrus' head raced, desperately trying to come up with a way out of here.

"Here they come again!" Krul interrupted.

Several crimson-clad krogan came charging this time, using cover and advancing in waves.

"Well, they had to get smart sooner or later," Garrus said, almost disappointedly. "Sensat, lay down some singularities! Try to funnel them into the center for Krul to take out! Erash, Butler, save your grenades for when they're close. Ripper, get Vortash and Weaver to the back, then you and Sidonis keep those vorcha on the street too busy to try and come in through the alley. 'Teague, you're on overwatch with me. MOVE!"

Glad to have some sort of plan, the team split up, each for their different assignments. It was a good plan.

Almost.

Three krogan on the left came leaping _through_ the singularity that Sensat had thrown, biotic barriers engaged. They came on at a run, covered by their comrades' fire on the far side of the courtyard.

"WEYRLOC SCUM!" Krul bellowed his challenge. "It'll take more of you than that to take me!"

The flame-thrower exhausted, the old krogan switched to his Vindicator Assault Rifle and charged out, focusing his fire in bursts at each of the oncoming targets.

"GET BACK, you fool!" Garrus called out.

Too late.

A rocket slammed into the side of Krul's head. Even from where he was standing, Garrus felt the hot splash of orange blood on his crest. The headless body took two more steps, then crumpled on the pavement.

 _Don't care who you are, you take a rocket to the face, there's no coming back from that_ , thought Garrus.

"MOTHERFUCKERS!" screamed Butler, going to both of his pistols now, his rifle overheated. "I'll kill you for that!"

One of the Blood Pack's eyes exploded, and the krogan went down hard.

"I'll fucking kill–"

Butler's threat was cut off by the unmistakable _**(ka-CHUNK**_ **)** of an M-300 Claymore shotgun. Even fully armored, the human's body was flung to the back of the store like a rag doll.

"FUCK! GODDESS-DAMN…" Sensat swore, throwing a warp at the nearest krogan. It hit him hard, and Garrus could see the krogan's armored breastplate creak and twist from the strain. Monteague and he must have had the same idea at the same time, because both of them brought their rifles up and fired simultaneously at the damaged area of the armor. A hole appeared in the center of his chest, and Garrus could literally see _through_ the krogan. His eyes rolled upward, and he went down next to Krul's corpse.

"Garrus!" called Weaver. With the krogan falling back, Garrus took two steps back and knelt beside the human.

"Yoose gotta be leeving me, maan," Weaver said weakly.

"Not an option," Garrus said firmly.

"Brudda," Weaver said, smiling. He grabbed Garrus' hand and squeezed hard. "You and me boff 'no, I ain't goin' noplace. I can cova you long as I can, take as many as wid me. Gut you godda run, or ain't none of us getting' outta 'ere."

"Here they come again!" Erash yelled in warning. Garrus looked out.

Vorcha and krogan both were sprinting for the storefront, laying down a wicked cover-fire.

"No time to leave your sorry ass even I wanted to, Weaver," Garrus said, squeezing his friend's hand in return, before bringing up his sniper rifle.

 _This could be it,_ he thought. _All those C-Sec raids. All those missions with Shepard. And I'm going to meet my ancestors in a shopfront in Omega._

 _Spirits_ , he found himself praying. _Take these, your children, to your embrace. They are good comrades, all…._

Suddenly, the first wave of attackers' heads exploded. They collapsed, bodies still twitching. This caused a momentary pause by the Blood Pack members immediately behind them. But in that pause, Garrus could see the very faint red mark appear on their foreheads. Before _their_ heads exploded in black and orange blood. Some of them suddenly started pointing and yelling at the rooftops, opening fire at the mysterious enemy that had suddenly appeared.

It was too little, too late. A blazing hail of gunfire brought even the biggest krogan down in a focused crossfire. All grew quiet over the courtyard.

" **Garrus?"** Sidonis' call came over the radio. **"You expecting any backup?"**

"Not that I know of," Garrus admitted.

"' **Cause every Blood Pack in the alley was just… made… uh… dead."**

"Same here," Garrus said. "Keep your eyes open. We still don't know what's out there."

" **ARCHANGEL?"** an unknown female voice asked over the radio. **"Is that you in the storefront?"**

Garrus looked round at his squadmates. Sensat was still bent over a now unconscious Weaver, with Vortash, Melenis, and Mierin each nursing their respective wounds. Melenis tapped his headpiece, making eye contact with Garrus.

 _Sub-harmonics,_ he mouthed silently. _She's a turian.._.

Garrus nodded in agreement.

"And who might this be?" Garrus asked in return.

" **The person who just saved your ass from a Blood Pack ambush."**

"Ok… still don't know _why_ , though…"

" **We have a mutual friend. He said to tell you he's still taking a page from Wrex's book, "Shoot Hundreds of Bullets and Hope One of Them Hits the Damn Target."**

Six pairs of eyes looked inquisitively at Garrus (seven if he counted Vortash's lower pair).

 _Shoot Hundreds of Bullets and Hope…. Ko'le._

He nodded back at his team, then spoke into the radio.

"OK, assuming that's true, what does Ko'le want?"

" **I'm coming down now. Hold your fire?"**

"Come alone," Garrus said, still guarded. "Something doesn't ring true, we shoot first, ask later."

" **Understood."**

A figure in light turian armor appeared on the balcony across the courtyard. Slowly but deliberately, she leapt from the third-story, landing in blue flare of biotic power.

 _A Cabal,_ he marveled. Biotic turians were few and far between in the Turian hierarchy. And not to be underestimated.

"I've never met a turian biotic before," Sensat was saying, with a hint of fascination. The asari's maiden's facial expression was clearly trying to envision a way to drag this newcomer into… whatever complicated friends-with-benefits thing she and Sidonis had going on. Garrus rolled his eyes.

"Cover me, "he said, stepping out from cover. He walked slowly towards the oncoming female turian. The two of them met in the middle of the courtyard, stepping over krogan and vorcha corpses. They stared at each other for a few moments, sizing each other up.

 _She was pretty enough,_ he observed _, the hood covering the top of her face, but not enough to cover the clan markings: Palavan-born. Southern Continent. Red Mountain Tribe._

 _But that armor… that logo._

 _NO way…._

"Archangel?" she asked, breaking the silence.

He nodded, slowly, but silently.

"Do you have any wounded?"

"Two minor wounded, two more seriously so," Garrus admitted.

"I'll send my medics in, if you'll let me."

"Two things first," Garrus said, his guard still up. "One: you tell me who you are. And Two: you explain _exactly_ what low-level thugs like the 'Talons' are doing this high up on Omega, and why the hell they've suddenly grown enough spine to challenge the Blood Pack?"

"The Talons have undergone a… change of management," Nyreen said. "Thanks to our mutual friend. My name is Nyreen Kandros, and I've assumed command of the Talons."

Garrus absorbed that news for a moment. Nyreen took the moment to fold the shotgun she was holding and replace it on the small of her back.

"We really should talk..."

* * *

 ***AFTERLIFE NIGHTCLUB***

 **OMEGA STATION**

Patriarch reclined in his private booth in the VIP section of Afterlife. The _**(boom/boom/boom/thud)**_ of the music above might have disturbed anyone else, but he found it… soothing. It reminded him of the War Drums on Old Tuchanka, before the Rebellions.

 _Ancestors, how long had it been since he'd seen Tuchanka?_ He doubted he'd even recognize the place. Or that the place would recognize him. His clan had long since been wiped out, their exploits and deeds fading into legend. His own _name_ was a part of those legends and songs. Songs that krogan would sing every night in Ryncol-induced delirium. But his part had been forgotten. His own _name_ had been forgotten.

Taken by the amethyst asari that had once been his most trusted lieutenant.

 _What a battle it had been._

The very memory of that final one-on-one fight caused his one remaining heart to quicken. Blades and biotics, arm to arm, hand to hand. Oh, what a glorious battle it had been.

But beaten he was, and beaten he remained. His throne, his rank, and his very _name_ taken from him. Replaced by an asari title that had no meaning or purpose. _Centuries_ had he sat here: an exile in his own kingdom, and a stranger in his own home. To suffer the worst kind of insult a krogan can endure: to be _ignored_.

And so… here he sat. Dispensing advice every once in a while to would-be gangbangers and up-and-coming wannabes. But he wasn't stupid: he was _old_ , and that was a title he had earned through his countless battles and conflicts.

Suddenly, he heard a distinct _**pop/pop/pop**_ coming from the other side of the door.

 _Pistol-fire. Too high-pitched to be Carnifax. Sounds almost like a silenced Acolyte model…_

More gunfire could be heard, louder this time.

 _Are they coming for…? Surely not._

But sure enough, the door opened, and the body of one of Aria's "guards" she had assigned him fell backward, a gaping hole between his lower two eyes. Multiple figures in yellow armor entered the room. Their leader made a few quick gestures, and the soldiers moved to secure the rest of the room, all guns trained on him.

"It takes a lot to surprise a krogan who's over 2,000 years old," he chuckled. He looked around at the armor-clad figures around him. "This….was _almost_ successful."

"You're Patriarch?" asked the leader.

 _Female voice. Asari…._

"I am THE Patriarch," came the proud answer. "If you're here to intimidate me, you've certainly flattered this old _starik_. If you're here to _KILL_ me, first tell me who finds me enough of a threat to them that they would send assassins for me, _here_ of all places."

"You misunderstand, _Mudret_ ," the asari replied. She reached back and hit the release on her helmet. The face she revealed was good enough looking, as asari went, but there was _something_ intangible that made her appealing to the Patriarch. What exactly that was, he couldn't place.

"My name is Captain Yara D'len, and I have just been made commander of the Eclipse here on Omega by Jona Sederis herself."

"Sederis? Ha ha ha," Patriarch chuckled. "Yes, she would be _insane_ enough to send an Eclipse death squad to kill Aria's favorite plaything. But I thought… _Jaroth_ was commander on Omega…? "

Yara reached into a bag that she wore around her waist, and threw a round bundle at Patriarch's feet. The severed head of Jaroth stared up at him.

"Miss Sederis found his inability to deal with the vigilante Archangel here on Omega… _unacceptable_."

Patriarch lazily flared his biotics, and the blood-soaked bundle floated up into his hand. He turned the head over slowly, then, slowly and purposefully, _**crunched**_ down on the salarian severed head. The skull offered only a token resistance, then gave way, releasing the soft and tender brain matter beneath it. He chewed, slurping the blood and juices noisily and slowly.

Around him, the Eclipse sisters had turned to look way in _sickening disgust_. Most of them were gagging, and one or two of them had even dropped their rifles, and the noises coming from their vocabulators suggested that they were vomiting in their helmets.

Miss D'len, however, didn't even flinch. Her pupils didn't even dilate in surprise, a fact that was not lost on him.

"A piece of friendly advice, Miss D'len," he said, continuing to chew his raw salarian tripe. "Keep doing errands like this for Sederis, and soon enough, it will be _your_ head I'm holding that your replacement just threw to me."

"And it is for that reason I am standing here, sir, though not at Sederis' bidding," the Eclipse captain said in answer, with a polite bow thrown in for good measure. "I have a message from Ko'le Voidwalker, _Seneschal_ of Protea, and _Imperator_ of the Conclave. He has sent me here to ask _aosta_ of you once again, _Mudret._ "

 _WELL NOW. Back-stabbing, betrayal, undercover infiltration: This was rare sport indeed. Almost made him feel… YOUNG again: like a TRUE KROGAN again._

"Well then, Miss D'len," Patriarch said, sitting back down in his chair, his cane in one hand, and his meal in the other, "We should talk…."

* * *

 ***CARTAGENA STATION*  
NEMEAN ABYSS**

Colonel Helena Blake closed her eyes. No matter how many times she did it, the actual _coming out_ of FTL speeds was always a little nauseating to her. But only _if_ she actually _saw_ everything come back into focus.

The docs had a term for it: "FTL-Disorientation" or "Spatial Vertigo", or some bullshit like that. Anyway, all she had to do was close her eyes before they came to a stop, and she was always ok.

The station in front of them seemed relatively small, especially for a space station that claimed to house 300,000 people. But Helena knew that most of the station's "population" slept in small, 3-meters-square cubby-holes, often with one or two other family members. That was assuming, of course, that they weren't sleeping in the Market Slave Pens, herded together like so many cattle. Pirates, slavers, and smugglers had made Cartagena their home base for nearly two centuries.

She knew this because she had been one of them. Her own crew, "The Firebrands," had run drugs, weapons, and contraband through the station countless times. Her late partners had also run cargo of a more _human_ variety before she had sold them out to Shepard for her to put down.

But that was all in the past. Now, here she stood, on the deck of the _Kwunu_ , the Conclave's newest and largest dreadnaught, on her maiden voyage. Her mission was simple: _Pacify the Nemean Abyss by any means necessary._

Fourteen other vessels came out of FTL speeds alongside the Kwunu. By comparison, they seemed tiny and superfluous, but each one was armed to the teeth and packed full of Conclave and Immortals soldiers, eager and willing for battle.

" **Conclave Flagship, this is C-Pat Control. Your arrival is unscheduled. State your intentions, or you will be treated as hostile."**

Cartagena Patrol: the rag-tag group of fat, bloated "lawmen" were merely the jack-booted thugs of the Merchant Guild that controlled the station. As long as you paid your "dues" and "Import Fees", your cargo went without inspection or interruption. Helena sighed, then pressed the button to broadcast her fateful message:

" **This is Colonel Helena Blake of the Conclave Security Force. The Merchant's Guild of Cartagena has been found in violation of four-** _ **hundred**_ **and eighty five accords of the Galactic Trade Agreement of 2107. We have notified the Guild to correct these violations, and have given them thirty-one standard days to comply. Upon your refusal to comply, the Conclave has found the Merchant's Guild of Cartagena, and all their associates,** _ **guilty**_ **of intergalactic piracy.**

 **My orders are to seize any and all ships associated with, or doing business with, said Merchant's Guild, until such time as their cargo and crew can be inspected in accordance with Galactic Trade Standards.**

 **Disengage your engines, and power down your kinetic barriers, and stand by for boarding parties."**

She took a deep breath.

" **If you test me… you will fail."**

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and she could almost _hear_ the panicked screams and scattering about on the station. The Conclave ships moved into a blockade position, to prevent any ships, transports, or shuttles from making it to the Mass Relay. Finally, a shaky voice came back online from the station.

" **T-t-this is… uh…. A-a-acting C-c-commander Luther D-d-d-d-Davies of the Cartagena Patrol Force? Uh… Ummm… yeah…. We should talk…?"**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well, things are moving right along for our favorite Neanderthal and his Band of Merry… er… Creatures? Peeps? We'll keep working on it.**

 **Archangel and the Talons have met up, as have the Patriarch and Morinth. The Conclave is moving to wipe out Piracy in the Nemean Abyss and Terminus Systems, and, on top of all that, Clone Shepard has officially… woken up. It may be awhile before Rebecca Shepard awakes (and it might not!), but until then, Ko'le definitely has his work cut out for him. What do you think is going to happen? What would you like to** _ **see**_ **happen? What characters (OC or otherwise) would you like to see more of? As Spring Break approaches here in the States, I'm hoping I'll be getting more time to write, and thus, I wanted to see what YOU guys wanted to see/read! Review and PM me with your thoughts, even if it's only "Good job." I can't emphasize enough that your reviews and your PMs invigorate me to get through some tough days here at University. Thank you, each of you, so much. This story is, first and foremost, my gift to you all.**

 **-Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

cainchaos, Zahkrii, Serenarey Chiba, shugokage, 5 Coloured Walker, Appbeza, Jim, Omnicron223 – Thanks, friends. It's awesome to welcome new readers and faces to my digital table, as it were, and it's also really good to see some of the early followers/readers stick around for more. Means a lot!

Tahkaullus01, Elvisfonz23, Lanilen – Yep. However it goes, it's gonna be VERY awkward.

BJ Hanssen, Squadpunk 2.0, METALHELLSPWN, – Thanks, that was just a thought that came to me: if the Reapers/Leviathans take over the mind of whoever they're controlling, wouldn't the logical first choice be someone whose subconscious was still in a medically-induced coma?

redcollector – Honestly: I have no idea. That's what makes the writing part of this story so much fun!

Toothless is best – I know what you mean. I have the same reaction when I read the updates on a lot of the stories I follow.

tamagat – Not a bad idea, especially since the Conclave/Immortals are going to have to train a VERY large number of people in a VERY short amount of time.

shadow wolf 501 – yeah, the Conclave has basically decided to ignore the Treaty of Farixen, the same as the Hegemony.

Asahar4 – That is a fear of mine as well, my friend, one I hope to stave off for as long as possible. Hope you enjoy this longer chapter!

Blaze1992 – Awesomely solid concepts, my friend! I'm trying to find ways to incorporate ideas/technology into Beacon's effect without OVERTLY copying anything. Something that Kevin would want to emulate from the video game world, and Ko'le would have the technical know-how to pull off.

Deathknight999 – Yeah, EDI's journey is definitely NOT going to be as linear as it was in the games. That much I'm POSTIVE about.

Dickson – That he may. And those assets will be put to good use.

T4ty – Honestly, I kinda forgot about his dreads. (In my head, he has them pulled back into a tight dread-pony-tail kind of hairdo). But yeah, we could very well see a haircut in the works for our Seneschal….

Nagato21, Zeru'Xil, Cptslapem – Glad you liked the drill, Nagato21. As for the Leviathans and how they'll be involved, and to what extent… we'll have to wait and see.

 _Thanks for your time and your thoughts, everybody! You guys ROCK!_


	21. Chapter 21: Return to the Citadel

_***50,000 YEARS AGO*  
MORAG (THE DENSORIN HOMEWORLD)  
SOLIDI SYSTEM, KIEJES NEBULA  
**_

 _I stride into the Great Temple, livid as hell. My salutation is a demand, harsh and insolent._

" _ **What is the meaning of this**_ _?!"_

 _The Densorin priest draws himself up to his full height._

" _You trespass on Sacred Ground, Prothean."_

 _Two Densorin acolytes draw their blades and stand between us. I flare my biotics and they go spinning away. Hands go to daggers all around us, and my escorts reply by raising their Pulse rifles, scanning left, then right, daring anyone to make a move._

" _Answer the fucking question, PRIEST. Where is your fleet? Your orbital defenses are abandoned. What in the Father's Name is going on?"_

" _We have done what was necessary to save our people."_

 _I look around at the fast-growing crowd._

" _What have you done?" I ask, a sinking feeling growing in my chest._

" _The Old Ones have spoken to us. They have told us what they demand."_

"… _. And what did they ask for? Your warriors? Your ships? A few worlds?"_

" _They demanded the lives of the old must be redeemed by the blood of the young."_

 _Panic rises in my heart._

" _WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"_

" _The Reapers have asked for our children, Seneschal," a voice calls out from the crowd._

" _SILENCE!" screeches the old priest. "You Protheans endanger everything by coming here! You must leave, NOW."_

" _Old one," I begin, raising a hand in supplication, "I beg of you, do not do this thing. The Reapers cannot be trusted to keep their word. They will take your children, and then return for you."_

" _The children are already gone, Seneschal," the priest replies with a sneer. His upper pair of eyes flash toward the moon overhead for a brief instant. "They are in Embra's Embrace now."_

 _The moon…._

 _I turn and run toward the shuttle, silently willing my escorts to do the same. There is no modicum of decorum in our gait or in our bearing. We simply sprint towards the shuttle, my MindSpeak ordering the pilots to start the engines._

 _The shuttle lifts off the ground and comes towards us, cutting the distance in half. I and my three guards biotically leap into the open side door._

" _Seneschal to the_ _Victory:_ _Javik, do you hear me?"_

" _Go ahead, Seneschal."_

" _Scan the moon for life-signs. NOW!"_

" _Brother… the moon is a toxic wasteland…"_

" _DO IT! NOW!"_

" _Scanning…. Mother's Mercy."_

 _Javik's voice is quiet from shock._

" _We have more than a_ _ **million**_ _life-signs, Seneschal. And dropping fast…"_

" _SCRAMBLE ALL SHUTTLES! Every man, every ship! Save all you can! THAT IS AN ORDER, GENERAL!"_

 _My orders are a panicked scream, a haunting plea._

" _Acknowledged."_

 _Our shuttle heads directly towards the emerald moon of Embra in orbit above the planet Morag. The short trip seems to take an eternity._

 _As we descend down the moon's surface, sheer and utter shock hit us. Audible gasps come from each of us in the shuttle._

 _Densorin children litter the radiation fields. They lies in piles, in orderly rows. Corpses embrace each other, and the dying crawl, waving feebly at the descending shuttle._

" _Go! Get them out of there! Get them out of there!"_

 _More Prothean shuttles come through the gas clouds above, and the hulking forms of the_ Inexorable _and the_ Triumph _follows them._

 _If I had every ship in the Great Armada, I could not save them all._

 _And I have but two scout ships and a Destroyer._

 _I sit in the cargo bay, looking out over the rows and rows of young Densorin children._

" _How many?" I ask Magi Logita, the ship's doctor._

 _She extends a hand to lay it on my arm. "Ko'le… Brother…"_

" _How MANY, MAGI?"_

" _Eight thousand," she answers finally, dropping her head. "But the rest of the Magi think that less than half of them will live. The radiation of the moon's surface was too potent, and they have been exposed too long."_

"Twilight, _" I ask the Ship's onboard computer. "What is the estimated population of Morag?"_

" _ **Nine billion, Seneschal,"**_ _answers the computer._

" _And how many of those were children?"_

" _BELAY that answer, computer," orders Logita. "Brother, what good will this…"_

" _OVERRIDE, Imperial code Artec 1-6-3 Trimozec-Black."_

" _ **Estimated juvenile population: three billion."**_

 _We sit there in stunned silence._

" _BRIDGE."_

 _My voice is raw, my vision red._

" _ARM ATOMICS AND BRING US TO A BOMBARDMENT-RANGE ORBIT!"_

 _Logita looks at me, shocked._

" _Seneschal?"_

 _Words fail me. Javik's voice answers for me:_

" _They have disabled their orbital defenses, Magi. They have dropped their planetary shield. Our bombardment will turn their planet to glass and their cities to rubble."_

" _Ko'le! You cannot! You MUST not!"_

 _My rage finally finds tongue and my order comes harsh and wrathful._

" _FIRE TEAMS, LOCK ONTO Concentrated population centers and OPEN FIRE! Begin with that GRAND FUCKING TEMPLE!"_

" _Ko'le! Ko'le!"_

" _KO'LE!"_

* * *

 ***PRESENT DAY*  
STARLIGHT STATION  
IN ORBIT ABOVE KAHJE**

" **Ko'le?"**

Kelly Chambers' voice startled me from my slumber, but I instinctively reached over to press the intercom.

"Go ahead?"

" **Ko'le? It's Jane again."**

I sighed, throwing the covers off of me. Rising to my feet, I stretched and regained my bearings.

"I'm on my way."

I threw a shirt on and walked out into the hallway. I took the elevator down to the 24th level. I had only traveled down a few floors when the elevator stopped, and Kelly Chambers joined me.

"Wow," she said, looking me up and down.

"What?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you out of armor before. It's…. I dunno, refreshing? To see you in a T-Shirt and sweatpants, I mean. Makes you… more human."

"The almighty _Seneschal_ is mortal, after all," I observed dryly.

She shrugged.

"Something like that. After you?" she said, as our elevator reached its destination.

I exited to see the Clone, who had taken to calling herself Jane.

I mean, "Clone" and "Hey you" seemed inappropriate, and it was Rebecca's middle name. Seemed to fit.

Jane was going to town on a punching bag set up in the middle of the exercise gym.

"Hey, Jane," Kelly called out.

The punches stopped and Jane turned to look at us. Her luscious red hair had been clipped to somewhere between a pixie and a boy-cut hairstyle.

 _I guess "Ariel from Little Mermaid" wasn't really her style._

"Hey," she said, panting hard. "Sorry, did they wake you up? I thought I was being sneaky."

"Couldn't sleep?" Kelly asked.

"Had the dream again."

"The one where you're back in the tank?"

"No, the other one."

I was standing over the corner, trying to imagine what the "other one" might be. But I decided not to ask. Whatever information Jane had told Kelly during their several sessions over the past week, was between the two of them.

"That bag looks like it could use a breather," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "Need a sparring partner?"

Jane looked at me, as if she hadn't noticed I was there before. Then she shrugged.

"Sure."

We walked over the mats, where she adopted her ready-stance. It was a textbook _karate_ stance, with the lead hand down to cover low and the off-hand covering high. I took my stance, a relaxed Prothean _duro-ko_ fighting stance.

She led with a pair of devastating kicks, followed by a flurry of punches and elbow strikes.

 _Someone has gone to enormous trouble to install these techniques into her subconscious._

I retaliated with some strikes and kicks of my own, which she blocked flawlessly…. In fact, a little _too_ flawlessly. Her technique was perfect, exactly as if she was performing a _kata_ in front of a panel of judges. But it left her open, and unable to adapt when something unexpected came her way.

Like when I flared my biotics, flipping completely over the punch she was throwing, sending a foot to the side of her head at the same time. She went down hard on the mat, shaking her head, dazed. Kelly was at her side in an instant, shooting me a glare.

"Impressive," she observed, helping Jane up. "I recognized some _weng-chun_ kung fu, some _muay thai_ kickboxing, and even some _krav_ _maga_ thrown in there for good measure _._ "

"For all the good they did me," Jane scoffed, "It's…. it's like I know all of these moves… but I don't… _remember_ them. Story of my life, I guess."

She looked over at me.

"I bet _Shepard_ wouldn't have lost that fight."

I gave her a shrug of my own.

"You are not Shepard."

"LIKE I DON'T KNOW THAT!?"

 _Wrong thing to say._

 _Fuck, you think, Sherlock?_

Jane came over and looked me square in the eye.

"Why? Why are you helping me? You don't owe me anything! If I wasn't wearing your friend's face, would even so much as give me a SECOND GLANCE!?"

"I am not here to help Rebecca Shepard," Kelly answered.

Jane turned to look at her, confusion resting on her expression.

"I've never met Rebecca Shepard," Kelly continued. "I don't know her. I'm here to help my friend: Jane. No one else."

"I _did_ know Rebecca Shepard," I added. "But I am not holding you to her standard. I do not expect you to _be_ her."

"And what if I wasn't a soldier?" Jane snapped. "What if I wanted to walk away from it all and take up fucking _crochet?_ How would that work into your great schemes and plans?"

"I'd give you a pair of needles and a pattern-book," I answered simply. "But you would still find yourself there amongst your _friends_."

Jane stared at me for another second, then sat down on the bench. I slowly sat down beside her.

"Tali won't even _look_ at me," she said despondently. "And I don't blame her? What do you say to the girl you know everything about but have never met?"

"Give it time," Kelly said, sitting on the other side of Jane. "She's still grieving for the friend she lost. She'll have to deal with the fact that you are your own person, and she'll come 'round."

"I… I…. I thought the _Normandy_ was leaving today…" Jane said, changing the subject.

"We are," I replied, taking the hint. "We're bound for the Citadel. It's the first formal sit-down between the Conclave and the Council. We're supposed to discuss the Raloi.

"I remember the Citadel," Jane said. "Or at least… I have images of it. It'd be nice to see the real thing."

"Do you want to come with?"

She glanced at me sideways.

"Do _**you**_ want me to come with?"

"You are not a prisoner here, Jane. If you wanted to return to Earth, contact Hackett or Anderson, or hell, if you wanted to contact Hannah Shepard, you are free to do so. Wherever you wish to go in the galaxy, the _Normandy_ will take you."

"I don't think I'm ready to face the Butcher of Torfan," Jane said with a wry smile. "Especially when I'm wearing her estranged daughter's face."

"Your call," I said, returning the smile. "Take as much time as you need. If you need anything…. Anything at all…."

"I've got your Omni-Address."

"OK, then."

I stood up and headed towards the elevator. Kelly walked with me about halfway there.

"Kelly…"

"I'll stay with her."

"Thank you. Call me if anything changes."

* * *

 _ ***NORMANDY*  
ENROUTE TO THE CITADEL**_

I was on my way to my cabin when the elevator stopped at the Crew's Quarters. The doors opened and a brilliantly-red EDI came into the elevator.

 _Damn_.

"Uh… EDI?"

" **I'm going to kill him."**

The doors opened on the CIC level and she started to stride out.

"Woahwoahwoah, young lady," I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the elevator. "Slow down: Who are we killing?"

" **Flight Lieutenant Moreau. He put engine grease on the bridge cameras."**

"And this has earned him the sentence of death?" I wondered.

EDI rolled her eyes.

" **If only. Ever since he got on board, he has** _ **consistently**_ **ignored safety protocols, bypassed regulatory systems, and has outright** _ **removed**_ **performance governors in several critical systems. His… goddamn** _ **showboating**_ **is going to tear MY SHIP APART! So I'm going to show him how it feels…"**

"EDI, that's just Joker's process. He _has_ to push this new _Normandy_ to her limits, to find out exactly _where_ the line is, not just where it is on paper. We're nearly twice the size of the SR-1. We have a Tantalus Drive Core, coupled with FOUR Helios Thruster Modules. There's not a ship _anywhere_ , in _any_ fleet with that kind of power and maneuverability combined. He needs to see exactly what this ship is capable of."

" **Loras could have done that _without_ ever putting us all in danger every time we went to FTL!" **

With a _**ding**_ **,** the elevator reached the Captain's Cabin level.

We just stared at each other in silence, the loss of our friend hanging in the air between us. EDI's avatar went from red back to a gold.

" **I'm… I'm sorry, Dad. I just… just…"**

"I know," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I miss her, too. Nothing would make me happier than to see her in the co-pilot's chair, giving Joker a run for his money. But she is gone, and Joker is now the pilot. And we can't expect him to replace Loras, any more than we can expect him to give up a hundred years of prejudice and suddenly be OK with an A.I. running the ship."

EDI nodded, slowly.

" **If he would just….** _ **Work with me…**_ **"**

"Then _talk_ to him," I replied, emphasizing the word 'talk.' "Sit in that co-pilot's chair. Let him put a face on the A.I. that's always giving him grief."

" **He's just…** _ **exasperating.**_ **"**

"Maybe," I chuckled. "But he's the best damn pilot I know. That said, I need someone that won't let him get away with _shit._ "

EDI nodded again, this time wordlessly.

"Hey," I said, changing the subject. "We're arriving on the Citadel early. Do you want to come with me? We can hit the Casino, or Flux. You know, just get away from it all for a few hours?"

EDI's avatar went from gold to a vibrant Blue.

" **NO!"** she exclaimed, a little too quickly.

She took a moment, then returned to her usual gold.

" **No… um… I think I'll stay here on my ship. It's… easier…. It's easier to…. I have to make sure Mr. Moreau doesn't** **completely** **overload our propulsion systems.** _ **AGAIN.**_ **"**

"OK. Just… take it easy on him, huh? After all," I said, exiting the elevator finally. "He's only _human_ , after all…."

" **Daaaaaad,"** EDI complained, rolling her eyes at my attempt at humor before the door closed.

I walked into the cabin, and began to change into my under-suit.

 _Why didn't EDI want to go to the Citadel?_

 _Is it because she's afraid of other people's reaction?_

 _No. That's not EDI._

 _She's been working awfully hard. I mean, she hasn't left the ship in…._

 _In…._

 _She hasn't left the ship since we first boarded._

 _Not once._

 _Strange…._

I double-checked the logs to confirm my suspicions.

 _Nope. Ever since we boarded on Cronos Station, EDI has not left the_ Normandy _. Not in any form._

 _New Search: Agoraphobia…._

 _New Message: Send to: Mira….._

I asked Mira to meet with me on the Citadel. Each of the Conclave Circle members was going to be there, along with each of the Council members. It would be the first time both bodies had met in the same location before. Not all of us were going to be there in person:

Din Korlack and Rhysan were still in negotiating talks with the newly-reformed Merchant's Guild, trying to transform a room of pirates, thieves, and smugglers into an honest, above-board corporation.

Well, a _mostly-_ above-board business corporation.

I didn't have high hopes for their success, but Din was confident he could bring them around.

 _More power to him. That volus could talk a freezing man out of his coat._

Oleg Petrovsky was part of the team that was securing Tortuga Station and the surrounding systems.

Those three would be joining us via Holo-Connect, but the entire body would still be represented.

My Omni-Tool _**dinged**_ , and I saw a new message in my inbox.

* * *

 _From: Ashley Williams_

 _Subject: Hey There_

 _Hey, handsome._

 _I was thrilled to get your message, telling me you were going to be on the Citadel. The_ Kilimanjaro _just docked, and I have seventy-two hours of shore leave coming._

 _We should meet up. Make up for lost time, you know?_

 _Let me know where to meet you!_

 _Ash_

* * *

I smiled. I was glad she had actually gotten my message. THIS TIME.

* * *

 _From: Ko'le Voidwalker_

 _Subject: RE: Hey There_

 _ETA: Two Citadel Hours. Docking Bay E74._

 _I look forward to it. It's been too long!_

 _I've missed you._

 _Ko'le_

 _P.S.:_

 _And by the moon the reaper weary,_

 _Piling sheaves in uplands airy,_

 _Listening, whispers ''Tis the fairy_

 _Lady of Shalott."_

* * *

I smiled. Now I had something else to look forward to when we arrived at the Citadel.

* * *

 ***** _ **CITADEL DOCK*  
DOCKING LEVEL E74**_

I exited the ramp, looking through the crowd of people bringing on new supplies for the ship. Javik stood next to me, surveying the scene.

"The female you seek is to the right of the elevators, _Seneschal_ ," he said with a slight grin.

"Will you be alright?" I asked.

"I will proceed to the Conclave Embassy, brother," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Do not trouble yourself on my account."

He set off towards the Fast Travel station, and I headed towards the elevators. Sure enough, to the right of the doors, stood a very familiar-looking marine.

Ashley ran forward, throwing her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground and returning her kiss with gusto. When we finally broke the kiss, I found myself taking a deep breath.

"Uhh…. _Hi…."_ I said, breathlessly.

"Let me just say, long distance relationships _suck_ ," she said, still pressing her forehead against mine.

"Oh, thank God," I answered. "I thought it was just _me_."

She looked around at the crowded loading bay.

"So…. Do you want to put me down now?"

"Nope."

She lightly tapped my cheek with her palm.

"Ass."

Then she kissed me again.

"So, where to first?" Ash asked me, hanging on my arm. "Is this the part where you take the pretty girl shopping for a new dress on the Presidium?"

I grinned.

"I had… something else in mind…"

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

I opened the door to the skycar we had summoned.

"That would be telling, wouldn't it?"

She got in, and I programmed our destination into the onboard VI.

"Hmmm," she said as I sat down next to her, "I haven't fooled around the back of a skycar since I was in high school."

"Not exactly what I had in mind," I replied, but leaning in to kiss her all the same. "But I wouldn't say 'no...'"

"Such a _charmer_ ," she said dryly as I kissed her neck. "I'm gonna have to watch your ass, _mister_."

"Only fair, since I've done nothing but watch yours since I got here."

" _And_ a gentlemen," she laughed.

"How in the world have you been, Ash?" I said, dialing back the hormones.

"Been good," she said. "Dealing with the aftermath of all the shit we pulled on Haestrom has been fun. But I got a promotion out of it…"

"Really?"

"Yep, I'm full-on Staff Lieutenant Williams, now."

"Wow… congratulations. And how do your superiors feel about you dating a member of the Conclave Inner Circle?"

"I've reported it to the proper authorities," she said with a shrug. "Haven't heard anything back, so I'm assuming that's permission. Wouldn't assume my mail is altogether private, though."

"Or our dates altogether unsupervised," I observed.

"What do you mean?"

"Black skycar, tinted windows," I stated. "They've been following us ever since the loading dock. Two humans in cheap suits and dark sunglasses. Screamed 'Alliance Intelligence.'"

"Gee," she said, rolling her eyes, "You think they could at least be _subtle."_

"Don't worry," I said. "Where we're going, people like them won't exactly be welcome."

"And where exactly is _that_?" wondered Ash. "Ko'le… my mother warned me about going to strange places with strange men."

"Fear not, Milady," I teased. "I'll protect you."

"My _hero."_

The skycar landed, and we made our way down the street, into some dark alleyways. A few batarians and vorcha stirred in the shadows, but I sent a VERY strong _"Don't fuck with me"_ vibe with my Mind-Share.

It can't control people's actions, but a Prothean vibe can usually at least set the tone in a room of non-psychics or the weak-minded.

Nobody messed with us.

"Ok… I'm genuinely curious now: where are we going?" Ashley asked.

"To see an old friend."

We rounded the corner and saw the familiar sign:

 _ **Klaang Forgeworks: Custom Blades and Jewelry**_

"Jewelry?" Ash asked, reading the sign. "How much call for _that_ does he drum up in the Wards?"

"More than you might think," I answered, opening the door, the small bell sounding my approach.

The store didn't appear to have changed much, except different merchandise appeared in the display cases and on the walls. And… as before, a tiny krogan head appeared on the other side of the counter.

"Wel'cum to Klaang Ford – Oh! Howdy, Unka Ko'le!"

"Hello, Drot!" I greeted the young pup. "Is your father here?"

"Ee's makin' stuff," Drot answered. He leaned in close, gesturing me closer. I leaned in.

"Whoose da purdy lady?" Drot asked in a krogan whisper.

Ash had just stood in the door with her hands over her mouth, I think to suppress a small squeal of girlish delight.

"Thax Drot, meet Ashley Williams," I introduced. "Ash, this is Drot."

Ash regained her composure and walked forward. Drot hopped down from his stool and came around the counter. He extended a tiny arm as high as he could, which was about waist-high for Ashley.

"Pleezed ta'meetcha, ma'am."

"Pleased to meet you too, Drot," Ashley said, shaking his little hand in all seriousness.

"I need to speak with your Da', Drot," I said. "Can you get him for me?"

"Sure!" Drot replied eagerly. "Wait'ere."

When Drot went back around the counter, Ashley turned to me, mouthing _Oh, my God!_ I nodded in agreement.

"Cute, isn't he?"

"OH MY GOD, I just wanna pinch his widdle cheeks!"

"I don't recommend that."

Before Ashley could respond, there was a thunderous roar from the back.

"VOIDWALKER!"

The hulking form of Thax Klaang appeared from the back, bowler hat and all.

"How are you doing, Klaang _uuuummphhh_ " I barely had time to blurt before being wrapped up in a krogan thresher-maw of a hug.

"ANCESTORS, it's good to see you! What brings you here? Not to repair your blade, I hope?"

"No, no," I said, trying to catch my breath. "Just showing my friend here the best blacksmith on the Citadel."

Klaang turned to Ashley, doffing his bowler hat.

"Thax Klaang, at your service, Miss…."

"Williams," Ashley said, extending a hand. "Ashley Williams. Alliance Marines."

"Hehe," Klaang chuckled, shaking her hand. "A blind krogan could've seen that, missy. Pleased to meet you. Any friend of Ko'le's is a friend of mine."

"And mine!" piped up Drot from behind his father's leg.

"I was also hoping to get a word in your ear, my friend," I added softly.

Klaang nodded thoughtfully.

"Drot, go play in the back, ok?" he asked.

"Ok, da," Drot said duefully. "Hey, Miss Willyums, wanna see my models? I gotz all kinds! Da even got me a _Normundee_ model!"

Ashley grinned down at the enthusiastic pup.

"Sounds like fun," she said, shooting a glance my way. I nodded. Ashley took Drot's hand and allowed herself to be led into the back. Klaang and I chuckled, and then then turned back to one another.

"What news do you hear from the homeworld, Klaang?" I asked.

"Not much," the big krogan admitted. "I hear tell that Urdnot Jarrod's whelp is making a serious effort to rally the clans. He's been preaching peace and cooperation, and from what I hear, making alliances with the female clans as well for full protection and breeding rights. He fought with Shepard, didn't he?"

"Urdnot Wrex," I confirmed. "Yes, he was on the _Normandy's_ crew. He was one of the ones that helped defeat Saren on the Citadel."

"That'll go far for him," Klaang said thoughtfully. "So what's that got to do with us?"

"He's gathering an army, and an army needs weapons," I answered. "Armor, ammunition, supplies, guns… and blades."

"Ahhh."

"I'm not asking you to go back to Tuchanka," I said hurriedly. "I want you to come to Starlight Station with me. Bring Drot, too, if you want."

"I don't want to seem ungrateful," Klaang said, "But you've got machines and assembly lines that can make a thousand blades in an hour, friend. What makes you come to a semi-retired blacksmith on the Citadel?"

"You and I both know that the best machines cannot rival the work of a true Blademaster," I answered. "We would supply you with the best materials, and a forge of your own design. And in return, you and Drot can live in peace and luxury on one of the most secure and opulent space stations in the galaxy."

"Hmmm…." Klaang said thoughtfully.

"Or, if you'd prefer, we can contract your work out of here on the Citadel," I said. "You can continue living and working here, and I'll buy every blade and weapon you produce for the next…. foreseeable future."

"It's a tempting offer," Klaang said finally. "One question first, though: Why Urdnot Wrex? What makes you think this warlord is going to be any different from the hundred other windbags who've come before him?"

"He's trying to end the blood feuds between the clans," I answered. "Trying to get them to focus on what is truly important: rebuilding your planet and your people."

"Eh, I'll believe it when I see it," Klaang said dismissively.

"I _have_ seen it, and I believe it, Klaang. He's the real deal."

"Well, if he is, then I'd say it's about time," Klaang said. "But deciding to throw your plate and steel behind a warlord is not a decision to make in a single afternoon. How long are you on the station?"

"There's a banquet tonight, and then I have a full day of hashing out politics with the Council tomorrow," I answered. "So at least for the next two local cycles."

"You'll have my answer by then," Klaang said.

"Whatever you choose, I'll be glad to get it, Thax Klaang. Now, while we're alone…"

"Yes?" Klaang asked, grinning.

"I have a favor to ask…"

* * *

 _ ***SOME TIME LATER***_

"Wow, so this is where they put up visiting diplomats?" Ashley said, wandering through the apartment.

"It's a Conclave-owned apartment," I said, tossing down my duffel bag in the living room. "I don't own it. I don't even think _my_ salary could afford it…"

"OH MY GOD!"

Ash's shout from the bedroom startled me, and I flared my biotics as I entered the room, ready for anything.

Almost.

An elegant blue evening gown lay spread on the bed, with a matching handbag and shoes.

"Oh," I said. "They brought it early…"

"I, uh, think it might be a little small for you…" Ashley said, staring at the dress, then at me, then at the dress, then back to me.

"Well…. this is awkward," I said. "I had wanted to at least _ask_ you before the dress got here."

"Ask me what?" Ashley wondered, now thoroughly confused.

"Well… there's a banquet tonight, at the Presidium," I said. "All the big-wigs will be there, and it's sure to be an extremely dull affair for me."

"Sounds horrible."

"It does. Unless you would be… I dunno… willing to be… say… my plus one?"

Ash looked slightly startled.

"Wow… smooth talking there, Casanova."

"I…. don't know what that means," Ko'le responded.

Ashley's cheeks flushed.

"Are you sure you want _me?_ I mean, let's be honest, Ko'le: I'm not usually comfortable in crowds without an exit strategy and a grenade."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," I replied, smiling. "So… what do you say?"

"Um…." She blushed even darker. "Yes?"

"GREAT!" I said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "Then maybe you might want to wear these with it?"

I pulled a long black box from my duffel bag. Ashley gasped.

"What is _this?"_

"Drot helped me pick it out," I said. "I think he has excellent taste."

I opened the box to reveal an ornate, Thax-original necklace. It was expertly crafted, with the strands of silver connecting an upper and lower band of gold. Included also were a pair of matching earrings.

"Oh, _Ko'le_... you… you certainly know how to treat a lady, don't you?"

"I wouldn't know," I admitted. "I'm about… fifty thousand years out of the dating circuit. I'm not 100% sure I know what you kids like anymore."

Ashley laughed at the joke, but she was still a little speechless at the necklace and the dress.

 _Nailed it…._

"I… I don't even know if this dress will fit," she said finally.

"I'm quite confident it will," I said. "I hacked your Alliance file, and got your… measurements… wow, that sounded a lot more romantic and less creepy in my head."

Now Ashley really did laugh, then she threw her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek.

"What time is the banquet?" she asked.

"It's… not for another four hours," I answered, checking the time. "Why?"

"Because," she whispered breathlessly into my ear, guiding one of my hands down below her waist, "I thought you might want to opportunity… to double check those measurements?"

* * *

* **INNER SANCTUM *  
CITADEL COUNCIL CHAMBERS**

"What are we going to do about this, then?"

"Do?" Sparatus said with a scoff, "We do _nothing_. The Conclave has finally pushed too far. They've overplayed their hand, I believe the human phrase goes."

"This could lead to an all-out war in the Terminus Systems," Tevos said worriedly. "The last thing we need is for Aria T'Loak to go to war…"

"Let them fight," Udina said with a shrug. All eyes turned to him, questioningly.

"What are the two possibilities?" he asked, returning their gaze. "If the Conclave has, as Sparatus says, overplayed their hand, this war will weaken the Terminus warlords and pirate bands to the point where they pose little or no threat to us. I don't anyone here wants another Elysium…?"

The reference to a united pirate fleet brought grave nods of agreement all around.

"And if the Conclave is _successful_ at clearing the Terminus Systems and the Nemean Abyss, what then? The Conclave will be weakened after their so-called "Terminus War". They will not be in a position to take full advantage of their victory. We will have _thousands_ of worlds opened to us for mining, colonization, and exploration, all without threat or risk of pirate or slaver attack. And the best part? Not a single drop of Council-race blood must be shed, and not a single ship deployed."

"Udina _does_ have a point," Esheel, the new salarian councilor, agreed. "By objecting to the invasion, we antagonize the Conclave's efforts to bring order to a lawless section of the galaxy. If successful, we profit. If not, this Council still profits."

"We are on shaky footing with the Conclave already," Tevos cautioned. "They have all but ignored our directive to control the Rachni population."

"This action of theirs flies in the face of the Treaty of Farixen," Sparatus still grumbled. "If we can't enforce the very _basic_ tenets of…"

"The Batarian Hegemony already ignores the Treaty of Farixen," Udina said with a wave of his hand.

"As does the _Alliance_ ," Tevos added pointedly.

Udina offered an asari-style shrug. "On the contrary: We are working to bring our navies into compliance with the Treaty. Work on the dreadnaught _Everest_ should be completed within the month, which will bring us within the required number."

"True," Esheel said, "But Sparatus raises an interesting question: if the Geth, Conclave _and_ the Hegemony, admittedly our largest rivals for control in the galaxy, _are all_ ignoring the Treaty, what is the purpose of having it? Common sense dictates that we must build up our military forces to meet these threats, especially after the fiasco at the Battle of the Citadel."

"We were caught by _surprise_ ," irked Sparatus, his turian honor affronted.

"And the STG bears a great portion of the blame for that," Esheel added hurriedly. "But the point is: we need more ships. We need to be able to meet each of these fleets if, goddess forbid, it should come to open war."

"Our shipyards at Aephus will be completing _five_ vessels next quarter," Sparatus said defensively.

"Whereas the Conclave fleet has _tripled_ in the twelve months since its formation," Udina replied.

"Which brings us to the next order of business," Esheel said, nodding towards the door. Standing to their feet, the Council took their places in the Chamber.

"Fellow Councilors, Jondum Bau, one of our most decorated SPECTRE agents," introduced Esheel.

Jondum Bau entered the Council Chamber.

"Councilors," he said, saluting, "My team and I have concluded our mission regarding the makeup and construction of the Conclave Fleet."

"What did you find out?" Sparatus asked. "Where are the Conclave getting their ships?"

"They are stealing them, Councilor," Jondum answered simply. He hit a button on his Omni Tool, and an image of a medium cruiser appeared on each of the Council screens.

"The CSV _Indomitable_ , a medium _Arcus_ \- class corvette," Jondum narrated. "Formerly known as..." he hit another button. "- the Hierarchy Vessel _Imperium."_

"Wait a minute…" Sparatus said, typing furiously. "The _Imperium_ was moth-balled out of the fleet nearly six years ago. She was dismantled at Kytra Junkyards and scrapped for spare parts and raw materials!"

"That is what the official records show, sir," agreed the Spectre. "On the next page of that particular report, you will see the detailed comparison between the two vessels. They match perfectly, including the radiation burn along the starboard hull that the _Imperium_ suffered at the Conflict of Rexes III. It is too detailed a match to be a coincidence, sir. That _is_ the _Imperium_."

"How?" wondered Esheel.

"An Alliance Intelligence Report lists a vessel matching the rough description of the _Indomitable_ as a member of the wider fleet controlled by the terrorist organization known as 'Cerberus'," Jondum replied. "This page is a comparison of suspected Cerberus vessels and identical counterparts in the Conclave Fleet."

"What are you saying?" Udina asked, somewhat baffled. "That the Conclave captured…" he hesitated, " _Thirty-five_ vessels from Cerberus?"

"Oleg Petrovsky was long suspected by STG as a member of Cerberus' inner circle," the Spectre explained, bringing up the file on the general. "Former Alliance Marine General, famous for the Alliance raid on the batarian colony of Torfan. Confirmed member of the Conclave Circle as its 'human' representative. Up to a year ago, Cerberus was controlled by a person or persons identified by the name "The Illusive Man," who appeared to be the absolute commander of the organization. A year ago, all references to him in Cerberus reports and Cerberus radio chatter ceased. Completely. STC now believes that the Illusive Man is dead. Upon his death, the human-centric organization appears to have fragmented. General Petrovsky apparently went to the Conclave, where the price of his military aid and expertise was a seat on the Inner Circle."

" _Spirits,"_ Sparatus marveled, looking over the report.

"If I can bring this Council's attention to Table 834.007," Jondum Bau said, bringing up the image in question. "These are known or suspected agents of Cerberus, no fewer than 75 highly-capable individuals and agents. As of a year ago, they were in regular contact with the Illusive Man. Since then, however, they have gone on to other organizations, listed in column seven: The PMC group _Immortals_ -"

"Still under contract with the Conclave," Sparatus added.

"The mercenary group _Black Suns_ –"

"Led by Zaeed Massani, a known associate of Ko'le Voidwalker," Udina added.

"- and a select few are now listed as commissioned officers of Con-Sec," concluded the salarian Spectre.

" _Goddess_ ," Tevos sighed. "The Conclave has either taken over or been infiltrated by a terrorist organization _completely_."

" _Two_ organizations, Councilor," Jondum Bau replied, bringing up yet _another_ image. "This is intelligence footage showing several _Black_ _Sun_ , _Immortals,_ and Conclave vessels acting in concert in the recent invasion of Tortuga Station in the Nemean Abyss."

"When was this footage taken?" Udina asked, reviewing the battle images.

"Yesterday, councilor," Jondum answered.

Udina's eyebrows arched.

"Tortuga has fallen, then?"

Jondum nodded.

"The last of the pirates surrendered three hours after that footage was taken."

"Spirits," Sparatus said again. "This… will permanently alter the balance of power in the Terminus Systems."

"We will have to tread these negotiations… extremely carefully," Esheel said. "The Conclave has made their motives, intentions, and capabilities very clear in the past weeks. Now is the time for us to make our response…"

In the corner, unnoticed by everyone, even the security systems, a Keeper continued recording the conversation. It opened a secondary line of communication, telepathically linking to the High Priest.

" _Watcher 4442-00302, relaying intel."_

" _ **WELL DONE, WATCHER,"**_ came the reply. " _ **THE SENESCHAL WILL WANT TO HEAR OF THIS…."**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey everyone! Thanks to the Spring Break, I am happy to be able to bring you guys a slightly longer chapter, as a special 'Thank You' for everyone's very kind-hearted and enthusiastic patience and support. I hope you like it, and please let me know if you did! Or even if you didn't, send me suggestions, thoughts, and where you'd like to see this story going! I love writing this story, but it's your comments and PM's that keep me motivated! Thank you all, and I hope to bring you guys at least one more chapter before the end of the week:  
By popular demand, we've got a high-society shindig, attended by the Council AND Conclave members, followed by a good-old-fashioned sit-down. Yes, folks… it's gonna get interesting. **

**Special shout-out to** **griezz,** **who gave me the idea to name the clone Jane.**

 **Send me your thoughts, and please review!**

 **\- Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Lanilen, Elvisfonz23, Deathknight999, BJ Hanssen, Agent Klyntar – Helena Blake was a surprise character for me, actually. I put her in on a whim in Beacon's Effect 1, but she's really turned into a fun side character to write for!

tamagat, Omicron223, BrotherCaptainSheperd – Well, you guys wanted it, here it is! A bit of a recess between gun battles and spaceship explosions!

Tahkaullus01, griezz, Sankami, Dickson, Toothless is best, Nagato21 – Omega is turning into quite the ticking time bomb, yes…. What happens when it goes off… Nobody wants to know.

Zeru'Xil – Love that movie. Glad it reminds you of V…. :P

Blaze1992 – Keep the awesome ideas coming, mate. I'll take all the help I can get!

Squadpunk 2.0 – Yeah, the clone will be a fun antithesis of Rebecca Shepard, I think.

Cptslapem, ThelonewoflNT – We're about to see a lot more krogan in the upcoming chapters, don't worry!

5 Coloured Walker, redcollector, Appbeza, Asahar4, shugokage, Tactus501st, METALHELLSPWN, fan-rei, ForgottenPrince, Shawnmed, T4ty – Thanks! Glad you guys are liking it so far! I look forward to your thoughts!

I say it all the time, but I'll keep on saying it: You guys ROCK!


	22. Chapter 22: A Much-Requested Party

_***EQUINOX HALL*  
PRESIDIUM LEVEL  
THE CITADEL **_

"Ohmygodohmygod…."

"Ash," I said, chuckling. "Relax."

"Easy for you to say," she glared. "Have you ever had to walk in heels? While being _constricted_ by a corset insert?"

I pursed my lips, and then shook my head.

"I have to admit: that is _not_ one of my many accomplishments."

"Didn't think so."

I offered my arm.

"Not too late to chicken out…"

Ash rolled her eyes and took my arm, slowly rising to her feet. Reporters on the other side of the red ropes were clamoring for a pose, or for "a moment of your time!" These we largely ignored, making our way down the red carpet into Equinox Hall.

"Oh, thank God _that's_ over," Ashley said, once we were safely inside the building. "I'd rather make an ammo run with geth snipers taking potshots at me."

"I'll provide the barriers," I replied, grinning. "You look lovely, though. It's definitely a step up from Phoenix Armor."

"Gee, _thanks_ ," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'd honestly be more comfortable in the armor."

" _Seneschal_."

Javik came up to greet us, bedecked in a splendid Prothean tuxedo. I was impressed that the hanar tailors had been able to recreate it so accurately.

"Brother," I said, clasping him in a warrior's embrace. "I never thought to see you in dress robes again, I must confess."

"When it said 'social event', I thought we would be witnessing the execution of some traitors," Javik said, almost disappointedly. "Then I remembered that this isn't our cycle anymore."

Ashley's eyes went wide, and she looked awkwardly between Javik and myself.

"It was a… different time," I said, half-shrugging. The explanation did little to assuage her shock. "Um… Lieutenant Ashley Williams, this is General Javik, Avatar of Vengeance, and Conclave member for the Prothean Remnant. General, this is Ashley Williams, one of my comrades-in-arms from the _Normandy_."

"Lieutenant," Javik said, bowing his head _ever_ so slightly.

"Good to meet you, General," Ashley said. "Ko'le here was afraid he was the only survivor of his cycle. I'm glad to see he was wrong."

"That is…kind of you to say, Lt. Williams," Javik said. "The reputation of your prowess in battle proceeds you. You will be a great ally in the coming war."

"Um… thank you?" Ashley said, not sure whether to be confused or flattered.

"KO'LE!"

Kylee Osana appeared at my arm, beaming broadly.

"Hello, Kylee!" I said, giving her a side-hug. Then she turned to Ashley, extending her hand.

"And Lt. Williams, you're here, too!"

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Osana," Ashley said (warmly, I noticed), returning her handshake.

"Oh, please, call me Kylee," the asari said modestly.

"Only if you call me 'Ash'."

"Whew, glad that's settled then," Kylee said, feigning wiping sweat off her brow. "If I could steal you away from our favorite Neanderthal here, there are some people I simply _HAVE_ to introduce you to…"

Ashley was surprised and flustered.

"Uh… uh…" she said, looking to me for help.

"Please," I said, "You girls go enjoy yourselves. Don't let me stand in your way."

Kylee caught Ashley's hand before she could protest and half-led, half-dragged her away.

"I have received word from the female called Parassini," Javik said in a low voice as the pair moved out of earshot. "The Alliance colony of New Goa has been attacked. All of the colonists were gone, without a trace."

 _So it begins._

"How many colonists missing?"

"Only 200 or so colonists were stationed there," Javik answered. "The Alliance is blaming slavers or a pirate attack, but our intelligence reports there were no signs of battle: weapons still on their racks, fully loaded. Food still on the tables, and the colony's shields were still active."

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

Javik's expression was grave.

"If this is the Reapers, as you predicted, then they would have come in force: there would have been nothing left standing of that colony."

"Unless they deployed a Zha'til Swarm."

"Mother save us."

"That would explain everything," I continued. "Incapacitate a large population, no shots fired, no distress call…"

"It is the only logical explanation," Javik concluded with me. "I should contact Magi Agwe: we must prepare the appropriate countermeasures if we are to engage them in direct battle, at least for all those _not_ wearing Prothean armor."

"Do so, brother, at once," I patted him on the shoulder.

"Your will, _Seneschal_."

Javik moved towards the balcony, bringing his Omni-Tool online. I continued to go around the room, saying my "hellos" and "How are you"' to the appropriate guests. Apparently, the room was abuzz with the news of the salarian councilor Valern's replacement and recall to Sur'Kesh.

"With grave concern: I heard he was diagnosed with advanced Loir's Syndrome," Calyn was saying to the group I had just joined.

"Nonsense," one of the humans in the circle objected. "He had none of the symptoms. If you ask me, that's just the cover story for his withdraw from the political circle after the Battle of the Citadel fiasco."

It would have been news to me, save for the transmission a few hours from my friends in the Xiz'matchi. The Keepers acting as my eyes and the ears on the Citadel had been a huge source of intel over the past year, but I had to keep it to myself. If I had brought it up to the rest of the Conclave, it would have raised more questions that I wouldn't be comfortable answering. I wouldn't even be able to play the "I'm Prothean" card on account of Javik not being able to talk to them either.

And "I'm a human from an alternate universe" still sounded crazy.

Suddenly there was a buzz of chatter in the room, with scattered gasps. I looked up to see two green asari enter the room, clad in very flattering evening gowns.

 _One is definitely Shiala, I can see that from here._

 _But who is the other… Oh. My. God._

 _I forgot how quickly Thorian Seedlings mature…_

"Miss Konstantin," I said, approaching the pair. "So good to see you again."

" _Seneschal_ ," Shiala said, gratified to see a familiar face, I think. She shook my hand, and I pulsed a complimentary vibe of reassurance. It was very similar to a momentary asari meld, and she smiled as she received it.

"May I introduce 'Queen-of-Joy-and-Laughter', my daughter?"

" _Mom_ ," the Thorian beside her rolled her eyes even as she accepted my handshake. "Please call me _Reyna_ , Seneschal. My full name grows a _bit_ tedious in dinner conversation."

 _Amazing. After only one year, she looks like the average 16 year-old kid_.

 _Thorian Seedlings grow rapidly in their first two years, Kevin, and then VERY slowly the rest of their lifetime. Much like asari, actually._

"In that case, I'm very glad to meet you, _Reyna_ ," I said, but I added in High Prothean, _**"But I also salute the Queen of Joy and Laughter, daughter of Protector of the Weak."**_

" _ **And Protector of the Weak sends his regards to Ko'le of Protea,"**_ Reyna replied in the same language. _**"But as fun as it is to talk in the High Tongue, I think it's making the people around us a bit….twitchy."**_

" _ **But that's what makes it so fun,"**_ I replied with a wink.

" _ **That's enough, you two,"**_ Shiala cut in, also speaking Prothean. "We have to be polite, after all."

"How is everyone at Zhu's Hope?" I inquired.

"The colony is actually growing," Reyna said, smiling. "And everyone's so nice to me and Dad…"

"We actually had our first ship of new arrivals last month," Shiala added. "Almost 400 new colonists, mostly human, but with a few turian and salarians as well. Everyone seems to be acclimating well."

"No one deserves it more," I added, "Now, I'll let you ladies go on, but try to find me later. I'd love to continue our conversation?"

"Of course," Shiala nodded, smiling. The two of them walked off, quickly surrounded by Shiala's friends as well as the curious and the gawkers.

"The Rachni, a rogue geth faction, the Protheans, the Thorians, and now the Raloi," a familiar voice listed off behind me. "You've had more first contact experiences in the past year than the rest of the galaxy has had in nearly a thousand."

I turned to see an asari matriarch hanging on the arm of a (older? _It's hard to judge age)_ turian in a resplendent uniform. The asari met my gaze unflinchingly, smiling warmly.

"You don't remember me…" she said slowly, as recognition did _not_ dawn in my expression.

"I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure," I said, mentally racing. "It's very hard for a Prothean to forget a face, once we've been introduced…"

 _Crap. That just made this MORE awkward._

"Uh… no offense, of course…" I stuttered.

"Oh, it's quite alright, _Seneschal_ ," the asari said, "And we've never been properly introduced. The last time we saw each other, Saren's geth were attempting to catch us in a crossfire, and your troops were providing me and my acolytes with cover fire to the evacuation shuttles."

 _HOLY SHIT. Sha'ira._

 _The Consort…_

"Madam Consort," I said, with a low bow. "A thousand apologies for not recognizing you."

"I assure you, no apology is necessary, _Seneschal_ ," she said, extending a hand. I took it in both of mine, an action that caused a slight stir in her turian companion.

"May I introduce…" began the Consort.

"General Septimus Oraka," I said, nodding my head, and linking my hands behind my back. "Such a distinguished general is in no need of introduction, Milady. General, a distinct honor."

The general seemed mollified by the turian gesture, and the compliment.

"Your name is on the voice of every politician and pirate alike, Voidwalker," he said. "Anyone who can kick some of these political assholes into action is alright in my book."

" _Septimus…._ " hissed the Consort, but the smile in her eyes belied the rebuke in her voice. "That's unkind."

"But not untrue," I added, coming to the general's aid. "That is the business I'm in, General: Kicking assholes into action. The Reapers are coming, and with them a war the likes of which will make the Rachni Wars and the Krogan Rebellions seem simple by comparison, and it will be commanders of action like you that the galaxy looks to."

"While I appreciate the sentiment, sir," Oraka chuckled, "I am retired; have been for quite some time. If they're recalling the likes of _me_ back to active service, things will be grave indeed."

 _Oh, buddy, you've got no idea…_

"Are you here alone, Seneschal?" Sha'ira asked, a sly glint in her eye.

"Staff Lieutenant Williams was kind enough to agree to escort me," I answered, with a distinct feeling that she already knew that. "We're old friends from our time as shipmates on the _Normandy_."

"I met her, when Commander Shepard," Sha'ira paused, closing her eyes at the memory, " _visited_ me during her time on the Citadel. She was… a remarkable woman."

"A tragic loss, the attack on the _Normandy_ ," General Oraka confirmed, "Shepard was a great credit to the Spectres, to humanity, and an example to us all."

"She continues to be so, Sir," I replied, smiling.

"Well said, sir. Well said."

"Well, we won't keep you, _Seneschal_ ," Sha'ira said, taking the general's arm again. "I believe the young lady in question is awaiting a daring rescue by the punch bowls."

I turned to see Ashley and Shiala surrounded by various politicians and Alliance officers, as well as Ambassador Udina.

"General, I may require cover fire," I whispered low, smiling.

"Pop red smoke, and I'll throw the flash-bangs," General Septimus replied, amusement in his voice.

"Ma'am," I said, nodding once again at the Consort. "I hope to speak to you again soon."

"Come tomorrow, if you are still on the Citadel, Ko'le," she said, smiling broadly. "I'm sure my girls can find you a place in my busy schedule."

I merely smiled and moved towards the crowd.

 _Did she just… invite us to...?_

 _She's not a common whore, Kevin. Just an invitation to talk. Politicians and businessmen the galaxy over pay through the nose for the honor._

 _Yeah, but… it's the… Consort!_

 _Father save us from horny gamer nerds…_

As I came up behind Ashley, I suddenly had a good look of the officer she was talking to. I should have seen it sooner, the way Ashley was standing: rigid, sharp, not quite standing at attention, but the closest she could come to it in that evening gown. I touched her elbow as I approached, earning a slight start on her part, and a smile from the officer. I kissed her lightly on the head, then I turned to shake the offered hand.

"Admiral Hackett," I greeted. "It's good to see you here."

"The same, _Seneschal_." The reply was… cordial, if not friendly. Or perhaps it was the closest to friendly that Steven Hackett ever got.

 _He and Javik have much in common._

 _We'll have to see if we can arrange an introduction_.

"And this young lady needs no introduction, surely," Hackett continued, turning to reveal a VERY familiar face walking towards us.

"Hardly 'young' anymore, Admiral," Hannah Shepard said, handing him one of the whiskeys she was carrying.

"Captain Shepard," I said, bowing slightly. "It is good to see you again."

"The Admiral was kind enough to invite me as his plus-one," Hannah said with a wave of her hand.

The Butcher of Torfan was wearing her dress uniform, with an impressive array of ribbons and medals. I couldn't help but notice the blue and gold Shanxi Service Ribbon denoting the First Contact War. While not an official order from Alliance Command, several veterans, especially ranking officers, had chosen to _not_ wear that particular ribbon, given the current political circumstances. But the blue and gold ribbon shone on the chests of _both_ Captain Shepard and Admiral Hackett.

The statement was clear: "Fuck Political Correctness."

 _I like this pair more and more…_

 _It's hard to imagine that First Contact was only in 2157._

 _How far we've come in twenty-seven years: from outsider pariahs, to a seat on the Galactic Council._

 _Human ingenuity and ambition, Ko'le: great tools and terrible weapons, all at the same time._

"Lt. Williams," Hackett was saying.

"Yes, sir?" Ashley answered.

"You're on shore leave, so this is by no means an order: do you understand?"

"If you say so, sir," Ashley said, thoroughly intrigued.

"If you have a moment, Councilor Udina and I would like to _invite_ you to lunch at Udina's offices tomorrow," Hackett said. "Admiral Anderson will be arriving on the _Enterprise,_ so it's quite possible that he may joining us as well."

"I… uh… um… think that would fine?" Ashley said, shooting me a questioning look. I delivered a small nod of reassurance. She caught it, and continued with a more confident tone.

"What time would be best?"

"11:30 Standard Citadel Time would be fine," Hackett said. "Gives us plenty of time before the Council Meeting tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll see you there, then, sir."

"Look forward to it," Hackett said. Extending an arm to escort Captain Shepard, the two of them moved off.

"What the _hell_ was that about, do you think?" Ashley whispered to me.

"I have no idea," I confessed.

"Don't you have like, Prothean mind-reading implants?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I can pick up on _data_ and _emotions_. All I got from that man was carefully guarded optimism."

" _I_ picked up on that!" Ashley said, lightly punching me in the shoulder. "Ass."

"Given that _I_ wasn't invited," I continued, "I can hazard a guess on the topic of conversation."

"You think… you think… it's about _us?"_ she asked, suddenly aghast.

"I don't _know_ anything," I repeated, "I'm just speculating."

" _Terrific_ ," she groaned.

"Come on," I said, taking her hand. "Let's tackle one thing at a time, shall we? Like where the hell we can find something to eat at this place?"

We ended up at a bar that seemed to be serving something very _akin_ to hamburgers. Serving the buffet was the Ambassador of the Raloi, Ari'ka. The translators were still in a developmental stage, but he spoke with a rich, humming Basic that reminded one vaguely of a South African accent.

"A gift of nourishment, from the bounty of Turvess," the Ambassador intoned, serving the guests with his own hands. I think it had some of kind of special significance in Raloi culture: that the guest must serve the host, or something like that.

 _Very different from most of our own cultures._

"Um…. Thank you," Ashley said, her eyes never leaving the Ambassador's as she took her plate. She backed slowly away, still unblinking.

"You're _staring_ ," I whispered quietly, but good-naturedly. She looked over at me.

"Sorry," she said hurriedly, but then her gaze slowly returned to the feathered alien. "They're just… so…."

"Alien?" I ventured.

"Yeah," Ashley said. "You think we'd all be used to it, by now. I mean, by human standards, we're already surrounded by birds, lizards, frogs, and turtle-people. But… _wow_."

The Raloi _reminded_ Kevin of the Arakkoa from World of Warcraft. But they were not just birds that had hands, like the turians. Every inch of their bodies was covered with feathers. Colors from brilliant blues and reds to rich emerald and jet-black varied from individual to individual, with no two Raloi _quite_ alike. They had two six foot-long upper arms, that acted as wings on their homeworld: large limbs capable of lifting their entire bodies off the ground for massive jumps, or gliding from rock crevice to rock crevice (their evolutionary ancestors having lost the ability of actual _flight_ a million or so years ago). Beneath these two main wings were two smaller ones, about the length of a normal humanoid's. These were used for directional navigation, or to perform more delicate tasks. The only claws or digits that could be seen were the four menacing seven-inch talons on their feet.

 _Would HATE to be on the wrong side of those._

"They don't have _fingers,"_ Ashley said, utterly confused. "I literally _just_ got handed a plate of food, and I don't know how he did it. How do they even…"

"Watch," I said.

One of the Ambassador's aides reached for a plate of lettuce (or the rough Raloian equivalent). The feathers on the tips of his "wings" reached out and wrapped around the lettuce leaf. Passing it from feather to feather, the leaf of lettuce moved up the Raloi's arm, across his chest, and down his other wing to be placed on the waiting plate.

"Oh. My. God."

"Pretty cool, right?" I said, grinning. "Every feather on their bodies is prehensile; capable of micro-motor control."

"It's… slightly creepy, but mesmerizing, not gonna lie," Ashley said.

"I'm just grateful they don't have to be confined to environmental suits, like the Quarians or the Volus," I said. "It would've spoiled an otherwise beautiful sight."

"Why would they have had to wear suits?" wondered Ash.

"Oh, our first contact teams identified a particularly nasty flu bug indigenous to Turvess: H7N7. To them, it's basically their equivalent of chicken pox, but to the wider galactic population, it's horribly deadly."

"Oh," Ashley said, now eyeing her Raloian burger with suspicion.

"Don't worry," I reassured, "our science teams got on it and with a little Raloian help, we developed a vaccine for every Raloi who leaves the planet. They've even begun distribution planetside, in hopes of eradicating the disease completely. You're safe."

"Thank God for that," Ashley said, taking the first tentative bite of her 'burger.'

"Wow," she marveled, "This is _delicious_."

I took a bite of my own. It actually _was_ quite good. It wasn't quite meat, though. The closest thing I could describe it as would be a kind of chickpea falafel, or a very nicely done tofu.

 _Very impressive._

"Incredible, isn't it?" asked a voice directly behind us. I turned, and started with surprise!

"Mira!"

I hugged her, her Medusa-coils wrapping around the back of my head. It was a weird sensation, not gonna lie. But there were two other items that had prompted my surprise:

First off, Mira was wearing a very fashionable evening gown _over_ her geth platform.

Second was instead of the regular "flashlight- head" that the geth had become known for, Mira now sported a beautifully crafted human face. Or at least it _looked human_. The nose was a just a bit…and the hair…

"Is that a _quarian_ face you're wearing?" I asked.

"No. It's supposed to _represent_ a quarian face," snarked Mira. "I didn't take it off an organic quarian."

"OK, OK, wise-ass."

Ashley snorted in amusement. Mira turned and extended a hand.

"Good to see you again, _Staff_ Lieutenant Williams. Congratulations on the promotion."

Ashley had recovered quickly from our initial surprise, and she took the hand graciously.

"I'm sorry if I'm staring," Ash said, "I just…. The face is a nice touch. Definitely a step up from flashlight-heads. Umm, no offense."

"None taken," assured Mira. "That's sweet of you to say, thank you very much."

She turned back to me.

"You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Oh, yes," I remembered. "Ash, will you excuse me for a second?"

"Go ahead," she said. "I think I'm going to get another burger."

Mira and I walked a short distance away.

"How has everything been so far?"

"Well, it's not all been sunshine, flowers, and 'Kombaya', if that's what you mean. The fact that my face doesn't scream 'GETH' to every passerby is something, I suppose. But it's been better than I expected it to be, honestly. What's up?"

' _Kombaya' is still a relevant reference in 2184?_

 _Focus, Kevin._

"It's EDI."

I described our conversation and the fact that she had not left the ship since we first came on board, nearly two weeks ago.

"Well, a new ship's exciting," Mira said thoughtfully. "Do you think she may just be obsessing about the ship a little much?"

"It didn't seem like it," I replied. "It seemed like she was genuinely _afraid_ to leave."

"Huh," Mira said, her eyebrows pursed in thought. "Have you talked any more about it with her?"

"No," I admitted. "But… I'm the 'dad' here, Mira. I'm the 'adult.' She may be more willing to talk with someone _else_ about these things than me. And she's lost one of the only organic friends she had…. Thanks to me."

"Don't blame yourself," Mira said, reaching out to touch my arm. "Those _bosh'tets_ got what was coming to them, for trying such a spirits-damned _stupid_ plan."

I put my hand on top of hers, and squeezed it, gratefully.

"I'll talk with her," Mira said. "I'll drop by tonight, after all the festivities."

"That'll be really late, or, I guess, early, depending on your perspective," I pointed out.

Mira rolled her eyes and shot me a look.

"Synthetics, remember? Geth and A.I.'s don't need to sleep. Plus, that will just add to the privacy value of our conversation. Now, go back to your date. She's waiting on you."

I gave her another side-hug, and she headed off across the room, towards Zaal'Koris and the rest of the quarian delegation, I noticed. I rejoined Ashley at our table.

"Everything ok?" she asked.

"Sure, sure, just… Conclave stuff," I lied. In the distance, I could see Shiala trying to catch my attention. She was standing with two batarians in very resplendent tuxedos that looked to be on the cutting edge of Khar'shan fashion.

"I think Shiala wants to introduce us to someone," I said to Ashley, who was still enjoying her burger. She wiped her face with her napkin, and then stood up from the table.

"Well, then, let's not keep her waiting."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"This is a political event," Ashley said firmly, "Now, I'm not a politician, but I do know that _typically_ means you have to rub elbows with a few politicians."

I smiled and joined her. We walked over to the crowd. One of the batarians' skin was a dark gold, and he was dressed in a crimson suit from head to toe, with a gold sash and multiple military medals covering most of his expansive chest and stomach. The other was more teal-toned, and his suit was as unassuming as his companion's was gaudy. Which is not to say he was underdressed: his pure white, two-tailed suit looked _straight_ out of Earth's Roaring Twenties, complete with a gilded-knobbed cane. In contrast to his compatriot, he looked _very_ fit, his stance suggesting military training.

" _Imperator_ Ko'le," Shiala said, emphasizing my Conclave title, "May I present Ambassador Moshi'ikal Balak, Patriarch of House Balak?" She gestured to the rotund crimson-dressed batarian.

"Patriarch," I greeted, inclining my head slightly forward and to my left, as I had been endlessly shown by one of the ambassadorial staff. It was a gesture of polite deference, one equal to another.

 _So this is Ka'hairal Balak's Patriarch._

Moshi's upper set of eyes blinked rapidly in surprise, I supposed at a human's knowledge of the gesture,but quickly moved to mimic the gesture in return.

"Imperator," he intoned in a wheezy, high-pitched voice.

"And this is Ambassador Xerol Shaaryak, of House Shaaryak," Shiala continued, gesturing to the white-clad, cane-wielding batarian. I repeated the gesture and the greeting, and Xerol smiled, returning the gesture, but I could see his gears turning in his brain at about a mile a minute. When Shiala introduced Ashley, his slight wince as he bowed and leaned on his walking stick didn't fool me, either.

 _That might be an old war-wound, 'old man', but we both know that walking stick is no crutch._

 _You think he's got a sword or a gun in there?_

 _I think it's an effective weapon in and of itself, don't you?_

 _Good point._

"Based upon the legends we had heard," Moshi'ikal was saying, "We half expected you to be… taller, Imperator."

"Meaning that my eyes do not shoot forth fire, as a _shri_ ' _late_ dragon?" I asked, smiling. "I, too, have heard the legends. Fanciful ravings of old wives and young children, for the most part."

"It is hard thing, to live up to a legend," Xerol said, his hands gripping the top of his cane. "But useful things, also, they can be."

" _Victory comes often through Fear of Strength, rather than Strength itself_ ," I quoted.

More surprised blinking from Moshi followed my statement.

"You know the Word of the Pillars?"

"I will not do the Pillars the injustice of saying that I am a _scholar_ of their wisdom," I said modestly, "I will only say that I have _read_ them to some length."

"Hence your use of Itocol's translation into Basic," Xerol said, with the same tone as one corrects an errant child. "The older batarian translations would read, _'Fearing an enemy's strength gives him that strength, and with it, victory.'_ The same general message, but the nuances are vastly different."

"How many translations are there of the Pillars?" Ashley asked. "If it's anything like the Christian Bible…"

While the two batarians seemed eager to educate the 'ignorant' human, Shiala slowly moved closer to me and lifted a hand to touch my back. A friendly gesture to all outside eyes, but the moment she made contact, I could hear the Song. However, Shiala's eyes did not change to either black or white, something which I knew took _incredible focus_ for a relatively-untrained asari.

 _ **Formidable foes, the pair of them**_ **,** she said in the Song of the Rachni.

 **What do we know about them?** I asked, focusing to avoid my eyes changing color as well.

 _ **Both of them are here as representatives of the Hegemony. There is a serious movement to elect a new Hegemon, but it is causing serious strife on Khar'shan. Balak represents the Traditionalists.**_

 **Ahh. The expansion-minded xenophobes.**

 _ **Don't be so quick to write them off. They seek to restore the glory of the Hegemony, and see the Council as standing in their way. Next to the Isolationists, they are the most powerful faction in the Hegemony.**_

 **And Shaaryak? What do we know of him?**

 _ **He was exiled from Khar'shan for a time, setting up a community of exiles on Illium. They proved to be so successful in trade that their exile was lifted, and he returned home as the leader of a new party: the Progressives. They are in favor of working with the rest of the galaxy, but they definitely put batarian interest first.**_

 **So they're not quite at the level of the Radicals?**

The Radicals were a faction that was on the rise mostly on the furthermost batarian colonies (and thus, the colonies closest to the Alliance). They were the ones who were clamoring for political reform, advocating full emancipation of slavery, and a more democratic form of government. They were behind the slave revolts on Arnhur in 2176, and only this year, another one on Aratoht.

 _ **Not quite. That is what gives Xerol his power. He's seen as just liberal enough for the Radicals…**_

 **And just conservative enough for the Progressives.**

 _ **Precisely.**_

I mercifully cut our Song short for her sake.

"But slavery is an integral part of our economy, Miss Williams," Moshi wheezed. "To simply 'do away with it' as you say, would be to remove a pivotal cornerstone of our entire society."

"But a society built upon the backs of slaves must fail, Ambassador," I cut in. Both batarians stared at me, unblinking. I continued, undaunted. "

"A slave will always strive to be free, and must be kept down by threat of force. The Words of Acquisition state that the Divine Balance is one guard for every five slaves, am I right?"

Xerol raised one eyebrow high.

"You really _are_ well-read in our text, Imperator. I commend thee."

"The space station of Aliquant alone processes one thousand slaves every week in the Great Market. That means the city must have at _least_ two hundred armed guards at any one time. Such a force is enormously expensive to hire, equip, train, and maintain. To offset the weight of the expense, the only way the city can afford it is to bring in more..."

Xerol smiled and finished the unspoken thought.

"…slaves. You make an interesting case, Imperator. But that is not the only source of income for our great cities. Spices, rare silks, trade goods…"

I cut him off.

"A batarian _ha'diq_ must rule by sword and threat of sword. Soldiers serve through fear of the SIU. The SIU live in obedience to the military hierarchy. The slaves work in fear of both. Allegiance and loyalty cannot be coerced. The Protheans learned long ago that a leader rules by example. Soldiers, generals, and the people may follow such a one, but they cannot be _driven_. An army that fights by the bond of brotherhood, will always defeat the one held together by the shackle of a chain."

A silence hung over the group. Ashley's eyes were wide. _Wow_ , she mouthed to me, her eyebrows raised in surprise and amusement. I smiled back. Moshi'ikal broke the silence with a slow clap.

"Spoken with true fervor, my Lord. Naïve, perhaps, but how could we expect a _human_ to understand the complexities of the Hegemony?"

His words might have seemed polite to the undiscerning, but his head was now tilted forward, and moderately to the right: a sign that high- _caste_ batarians gave to show mocking derision, or distain.

"Perhaps," I said politely.

However, I had responded _physically_ by tilting my head deeply and down to the right: a sign of preparing for eminent violence, or to show rage.

Moshi'ikal blinked his top pair of eyes rapidly, whether in surprise in my recognizing his mockery, or in rage at my challenge, I couldn't tell. And frankly, didn't care.

Xerol's head, on the other hand, was bent _ever_ so slightly forward, a sign of polite interest to an equal. I reciprocated the same politeness to him, which bought me a slow blink of his upper pair of eyelids.

 _He hasn't quite yet come to a decision about us._

 _I just don't think he's run into a human quite like us before._

"Yes… interesting thoughts, _Imperator_ ," Xerol said slowly. "I look forward to perhaps continuing this conversation at the Summit meeting tomorrow?"

"Quite so, Ambassador," I replied.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, my… _colleague_ and I are expected by the Council," Xerol said, giving a slight nod at Moshi. "Miss Konstantin, Miss Williams?" he gave a polite bow to each of them, and then the pair of batarians moved off through the crowd.

"Well…" Shiala said, visibly relaxing, "That went better than I expected."

"They both seemed to have about a six-foot _stick_ up their asses," Ashley huffed.

"Xerol is good," I said quietly. "He is not to be underestimated. He's brought his house back from Exile, back into the good graces of the Great Houses. His excuse they were 'expected' by the council allowed both he and that fool Moshi'ikal to leave the conversation with grace and honor intact, after so grevious a social _faux pas_."

"A batarian like that," Shiala said slowly, "could be the next Hegemon, if all went _very_ well for him."

"And us," I agreed.

Suddenly the lights came on above the dance floor, and half a dozen female Raloi came out in traditional tribal dancing garb, with small bells on their ankles, waists, and necks tinkering merrily as upper and lower wings moved slowly in time with gyrating hips and the mesmerizing melodies.

Ashley stared mesmerized at the show, a beaming smile on her face and in her eyes.

"You having fun?" I whispered into her ear.

"It's _great_ ," she said, and she meant it.

"If you're not too wrapped up in the show," I continued, "This is the perfect distraction for a discreet exfil back to the safe house, _Williams_."

Ashley turned to look me in the eye, trying to gauge if I was serious or not. When I did not back down from her questioning gaze, a hungry smile crept across her face.

"On your six… _Seneschal_."

I motioned with my hand, and we backed up slowly through the crowd towards the edges of the room. I grabbed a curtain and pulled it back.

" _Now,"_ I hissed, and ducked under it myself.

We now found ourselves in the outer halls, with serving staff (mostly salarians, I noticed) darting back to and fro like mad.

" _Go, go, go."_

We found an elevator and took it several levels down, all the while I was typing on my Omni-Tool. I found the window I was looking for and opened it.

"Ko'le!" Ashley said incredulously. "We're still about eighteen stories up! I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not necessarily _dressed_ to climb!"

"Which is why I brought the ride… to us," I answered, smiling.

A skycar pulled up next to the window, the side door opening. I held out a hand to Ashley, who took it, eyes still wide in surprise. It was a short hop over to the car, and I quickly followed. A quick **flare** of the biotics closed the window, and we were off.

"My thanks, Private Krios," I said warmly.

"My pleasure, _Seneschal_ ," the drell teen answered. "Where to?"

I looked at Ashley, eyebrow lifted.

"Back to the apartment?"

Ashley nodded wordlessly, then pulled me into a fierce, _hungry_ make-out session.

We barely made it back to the apartment in time…. And as good as Ash may have looked in that dress, let me tell you: she looked _great_ out of it.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out, you guys! The first draft just was never quite up to par for me, and I've spent the last week tweaking this bit and adding this bit here or there, etc. (you know how that goes). While I CANNOT be called a perfectionist, I'm really determined to just post "something" up here for the sake of posting. I'm trying my best to bring you all quality chapters, not just because that makes me feel more fulfilled, but because it's what you guys deserve!**

 **Full credit to Katkiller-V for the batarian mannerisms and culture. Xerol Shaaryak is also one of her ingeniously crafted OC's. Check out her Mass Effect 'Another Realm' series on her profile. Seriously, it's one of my favorite Fanfics. Brilliantly done. **

**As always, please review and or PM me with your thoughts, observations, critiques, and suggestions. Honestly, you all are the reason the quality of this fic has improved the way it has.**

 **Another thing that I was delighted to receive: Please feel free to PM me suggestions for OC characters you'd think would be good in this story: maybe an eccentric Raloi warrior, or a literary turian, or a salarian bounty hunter, or even a krogan pacifist! I can't promise I will be able to use them all, but I will absolutely give shout-outs to you if I am able to input your character!**

 **Thanks, everybody!**

 **\- Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Squadpunk 2.0, Tahkaullus01, Anonymous, Lanilen – The meeting of the two groups will be fun to watch. Oh, to be a Keeper on the wall of that meeting. Oh wait, we WILL be! :P

Toothless is best – Drot and Klaang are one of my favorite duos to write. I'm seriously considering just doing a break-out story, perhaps involving Drot's mom, or how Klaang came to be plying his blacksmithing on the Citadel.

5 Coloured Walker, Blaze1992, – If Ko'le had left the planet to the Reapers that would have meant that, somewhere down the road, his men would have be fighting the indoctrinated husk forms of the Densorins. Hence the decision to glass the lot of them, then and there.

tamagat, general-joseph-dickson, Nagato21, Zahkrii, Appbeza, griezz, fan-rei – Well, the Keepers have been freed from Reaper control, so it only made sense to me that they would still be reporting to the Ordained. But only to the Ordained… And the Voice at the End is the High Priest of the Xiz'matchi, a character we'll see more of in the future.

Zeru'Xil – Hope you get better, but thanks for taking the time to review even when you're sick!

Sankami – Don't worry: we'll be returning to Aria and the Terminus Systems very soon. More Aria, more Blake, more Black Suns, more Morinth, and re-introducing everyone's favorite: the PYSCHOTIC BIOTIC!

Omnicron223 – No choke slams this chapter, my friend, but stay tuned…

METALHELLSPWN, Elvisfonz23, shugoakge, mikehike, Tactus501st, BrotherCaptainSheperd, Zomvee, Cptslapem, Kog6943, Sheity Williams, dragons guard – Thank you very much! So glad you are all enjoying this story so far! Truly, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart: Never let anyone make you doubt this inexorable fact: You All ROCK!


	23. Chapter 23: A Call to Order

_"Imperator."_

 _I whirl towards the sound of the voice. A dark figure stands in the doorway._

 _"Who are you?" I yell, drawing my sword. "Show yourself!"_

 _The figure steps forward into the light. My hand trembles. My sword falls from limp and shaking fingers._

 _"Urush?"_

 _Urush Robbidir, Emperor of the Protea, stepped towards me, uneasily. A cough escapes his lips, as does a spray of red blood. He totters on his feet, and I rush to catch him before he hits the ground._

 _"Urush… Urush, my soul, my darling_ …. _I… I tried to get out. I tried to get to you… I never wanted this… I was to die that day, not you. Not you…"_

 _Hot tears and wracking sobs shake my body, and I hold him closer to my body. A tender hand reaches up to caress my cheek._

 _"Dear heart… I died that you might live. I was proud to stand beside you, in the ranks, and in your heart."_

 _The hand moved down and then seized my neck._

 _"AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SACRIFICE?"_

 _I clutched at the hand, trying to breathe. Suddenly I was on my knees before the Throne Room. Urush, now in resplendent armor, twisted his face in rage and anger. All around me are my comrades and my swordbrothers and shield-sisters:_

 _Valiant Dranen, Avatar of Wisdom._

 _Kind-hearted Zek, Avatar of Patience._

 _Chorus of Victory, proud Avatar of Victory._

 _Stalwart Nih'kil, Avatar of Endurance._

 _Big barrel-chested Braka, Avatar of Strength._

 _Lilliande… brave Lilliande… Avatar of Courage._

 _And they all stare at me with accusation and hate on their faces. My dearest friends and comrades, now standing in judgement over me._

 _"You DARE to besmirch the name and memory of the Glorious Throne!"_

 _"Of the Eternal Crown!"_

 _"You would Poison the Song of our Chorus with LESSER VOICES!"_

 _"You would have our people, PROTHEANS, answer to the like of primitives!"_

 _Urush's biotics flare, and I hurl across the throne room, landing and skidding with a horrible crunch and grind._

 _"YOU bicker and argue with primitives instead of reminding them of their place: ON THEIR KNEES!"_

 _Another savage hit comes and my vision blurs. I try to speak, to explain, to protest, but no words escape me._

 _"REBUILD MY EMPIRE, KO'LE! REBUILD IT from the ashes of this grotesque attempt at an imitation! Avenge us! Avenge our people! AVENGE ME!"_

* * *

 ** _*Presidium Level*  
The Citadel _**

**_Widow System, Serpent Nebula_**

"NO!"

A dagger was in my hand, and I bolted upright in bed. Milliseconds later, a firm and unyielding hand had my right wrist in a vice-like grip.

"Ko'le! STAND DOWN!"

I whipped head whips to my right to see Ashley staring back at me, eyes wide in surprise, but with absolutely zero fear behind that gaze. Her expression softened slowly as she saw recognition and confusion come into my eyes. I looked around slowly.

 _I'm still…. We're still in the apartment at the Citadel._

My body was covered in a cold sweat, and my breath came in ragged, broken pants.

"Give me the knife, ok?"

Ashley's voice anchored me back in the present, and then I was suddenly _very_ aware of where and what just happened.

"Oh, God…"

I let the dagger go, and Ashley took it and didn't hesitate to toss it across the room. The clatter as it hit the hardwood floor caused me to start involuntarily.

"I'm sorry… ohgodi'msorryi'msorry…."

I rolled out of the bed, headed toward the bathroom. I leaned over the sink, still panting heavily. I turned on the cold water and splashed some onto my face. It pooled in my hands and I slowly lowered my face into it, feeling the blissful coolness wash over me.

"Hey."

Ashley was standing in the doorway, wearing a worried expression on her face.

And nothing else.

"Ash… I'm so sorry…" I began again, but she held up her hand.

"Shhhh…." She said softly. She brought her hands up to my face. She kissed me, slowly and tenderly. She pressed her forehead against mine.

"I'm here. You're here."

"So many are not…" I said, my voice cracking. "Ash, I've lost…"

"Be here, Ko'le," she whispered. "Be with me…"

She moved my hands down her back, allowing me to feel the statin smoothness of the skin beneath my fingertips. I took in my breath slowly through my nose, taking in the scent of military-issue lavender soap that came from her hair. I felt her ass in my hands, and that breath became a sharp gasp, earning a chuckle from Ash.

"Oh, you like what you see, soldier?"

"I… I…"

Another hungry kiss was on my lips, and she moaned as she leaned into my embrace.

"Ash," I said, stepping back. "I _can't_ …"

I regretted my words as soon as they were out of my mouth. The concern was still on her face, but it was accompanied by hurt and disappointment.

"It's… it was just a dream," I attempted to explain, sitting down on the side of the tub. "All of those faces… all of those names. My old friends… my old crew…"

Ashley sat down next to me. I wanted to take her _right there_ , I wanted to hold her, to make my pain go away. But my arms stayed down at my sides, and my lips fell silent.

"You have me… You are alive, Ko'le. We are alive. And that is nothing we should apologize for."

I reached over and took her hand in mine.

"It… makes me envious of Javik's amnesia."

Ashley squeezed my hand, slowly pulling me to my feet.

"Come'on…. Come back to bed…"

I let her pull me back to the bedroom. She got back under the covers, pulling me in behind her. We lay down, and she pulled my arm around her. No more words were said. I just laid there, holding her hand, feeling her smooth skin beneath my fingers, hearing her breathe, and watching her chest rise and fall beneath the covers.

There's always "that scene" in movies or in books where the "haunted veteran" finally breaks down and hugs it out with the girl, and they share their feelings and emotions over tears and violin music. And there's a place for that, I guess.

But the truth? There are few things in life more comforting than the simple presence of someone else beside you while you sleep. The touch of an understanding hand, the unspoken support of those who love you… there are few medicines in the galaxy better than that.

For the first time in a long while, my sleep was restful, and my thoughts dreamless.

The next morning, I started awake to find myself alone in bed. I looked around, but there was no sign of Ashley.

"Ash?"

I got up and checked the bathroom, and saw a note written on the bathroom mirror in lipstick:

 _-Hackett moved meet to breakfast. Didn't want to wake. Call when free.- Ash_

 _Does that mean WE call when WE'RE free or SHE will?_

 _Whichever comes first, I suppose._

 _Right. So where do we go first?_

I headed out for the Presidium, grabbing an Omni-Bar on my way out.

I swear, it was Omni-EVERYTHING in this universe. But the good thing about being a Prothean-engineered Neanderthal was the fact that I didn't have to worry about the coloured strip on each bar. Blue was dextro-amino acids, Red was levo-amino acids. Either one was good for me.

I set out, munching on my nutritioius breakfast.

 _So… where to first?_

I opened my front door to see a young drell leaning against the hallway.

"Private Krios?"

"Sir," he said, snapping to attention. "General Javik's compliments, sir. He said I'm to escort you today."

I rolled my eyes.

 _Javik being the big mother hen he usually is._

 _If someone was going to kidnap me again, Javik, do you think this kid could stop them?_

"That won't be necessary," I said dismissively, moving past him towards the elevators.

"Begging the _Imperator's_ pardon," he replied without hesitating, falling in behind me. "But I'm more scared of disobeying General Javik's orders than yours, sir."

I chuckled at that remark.

"Probably wise. Alright, then, Private, fall in."

We made our way down to the main Presidium level, walking through the Financial District. Looking around, I could still very faint burn marks on some of the walls, and most of the stores and buildings were covered in very fresh layers of paint. Some of them still had construction going on in their higher levels.

 _A year ago, this was a battleground. Now, you'd never know._

 _They're not called "the Keepers" for nothing, Kevin._

I found myself in a very familiar area. Across the way were the Embassies, now reduced to only a newly-reopened batarian embassy, and the Conclave Embassy that now took up all the former offices of its member races. But now… I turned to the offices behind me.

" _Imperator!"_ the young asari said as I approached the front office. She stepped back and bowed gracefully. "Lady Sha'ira said to expect you. She instructed us to clear her morning schedule in anticipation of your visit."

 _Oh. Wow. Ok, then._

"Private Krios, wait here. I'll be back…"

"Yes, sir."

 _Wow, that kid has a major stick up his ass._

 _That comes with the daddy-issues, I guess._

I followed the acolyte through the empty hallway, and to the right up the stairs. The doors opened to reveal a more comfortably (but nonetheless regally) dressed asari reclining on a chair, drink in hand. She turned and smiled as I entered.

" _Imperator_ ," she said warmly, rising to her feet. She walked forward, hand extended. I took it and pressed it to my forehead as I bowed, as was the asari custom. As the back of her hand touched my forehead, I send a brief _pulse_ of a meld, conveying an emotion of greeting and honor. Without batting an eye, she replied with the same asari gesture. The pulse from her conveyed _welcome_ and _relaxation_.

"Rare to see a non-asari initiate the Greeting of Athame," Sha'ira observed pleasantly.

"I like to think I am what is generally considered a rare specimen, Madam Consort."

"Please," she said, holding up her hands. "Call me Sha'ira. Tea? I'm afraid my stock of refreshments doesn't include Prothean beverages."

"Lailah tea will be fine," I said, smiling.

"An asari tea also? My, my, _someone's_ been studying xenosociology."

"It's not so much studying as it is… remembering."

I let her absorb that statement for a while. She honestly looked at a loss for words. I decided to change the subject.

"I am almost more Prothean than I am human, anyway, Consort," I said, shrugging. "Protheans often have entire conversations without saying a single word."

She looked at me slyly, and then took my hand again.

"Really? Show me."

I looked over at her, eyebrow raising, then initiated a Mind-Share.

 _"_ _ **Be careful what you wish for, Consort. Those who are not used to the experience can sometimes….overshare?"**_

Sha'ira's eyes widened.

 ** _"Wow. This… is… a new experience…. Which is… no small achievement… for me."_**

Suddenly, a series of images flashed in front of us.

 _A young Sha'ira stood over the body of a fallen krogan, waving her squad on._

 _"COME ON! Press on, Press on!"_

 _Two young asari maidens take their place beside her._

 ** _"My God. Aethyta. Tevos. They were your squadmates."_**

 ** _"In the Krogan Rebellions, yes. Yes… we were the… Spear-Maidens…Goddess, I haven't thought of that in… in…"_**

 _The three maidens stood in the Great Temple of Athame, receiving the accolades of the screaming throng._

Sha'ira's eyes went wide.

 ** _"No. Not this."_**

 _The three maidens kneel before the main statue in the Temple. The statue glows green, and a ray of light shines down on the trio._

 ** _"NOT THIS!"_**

I released her hand, stepping back.

"Are you all right?"

Sha'ira put a hand to her forehead, swaying slightly.

"That was… intense."

"Forgive me," I said as I reached out a hand to steady her. "I should not have agreed to…."

"No, no," she quickly added, waving her hands, "I just… wasn't prepared…"

"There are few who are," I reassured her. "From the time I was five years old, I was surrounded by a race whose communication is 90% unspoken. I was usually beaten for speaking aloud… and the implants burned and hummed in my head when I remained silent. I usually chose the beatings…"

" _Goddess…_ "

"That is the river that has led me to this ocean, as your people would put it," I shrugged. "It was… hell, but I survived."

"That's what your life has been about, hasn't it?" Sha'ira asked, looking back at me. "Survival?"

"In that, we are very similar, _Spear-Maiden of Athame_."

I sipped the tea, letting the flavor hit my taste buds, sparking a flurry of memories: for both Ko'le and Kevin.

 _The first time I ate a meal with no fear of being poisoned or doped as an experiment…._

 _Setting foot on another solar system for the first time..._

 _Picking blackberries in the woods with Dad…._

 _Mom introducing me to my baby sister Jenny for the first time…_

 _Vicki and I… our first kiss…._

I set the cup down, gently.

"Thank you for the tea, Sha'ira. I'm afraid that duty calls me elsewhere… but… thank you for your time. It was an honor."

"Anytime, _Imperator_ ," she replied, smiling in a carefully crafted look of joyous optimism. "I too, have much to thank you for. If you ever need a helpful hand or an attentive ear…"

"I will know where to come," I smiled, and then turned toward the door.

" _Imperator?_ If I may?"

I turned back to see her approach, and take my hands in hers.

"A gift of words before you go?"

 _What is she up to?_

 _She's the Consort, Ko'le. This is what she does…_

"I'd… be honored, Madam."

She squeezed my hands, inhaling deeply.

"In the oceans of Thessia, millions of years ago, there was once a creature called _Egosaurus_. In the Meridian Age of Thessia, Egosaurus was the chief predator of Thessia's oceans. Long, sleek, and fast, there was no prey that he could not catch, and there was no predator that dared challenge him.

Then there was the Age of Fire, when the mountains began to rise above the waves of Thessia. And in the fossil record, Egosaurus disappears. He began, paleontologists tell us, to crawl into the shallow water in pursuit of food. And it was there, that he met his end. While untouchable beneath the waves, all that was above them was the territory and prey of _Archeostryx,_ a giant predator of the air. Taking the fight from the water to the air proved the death of Egosaurus, and within a million years, all that remained of the tyrant of the seas was confined to the fossil record."

She opened her eyes slowly, and then released my hands.

"A word for those willing to listen."

 _Oh…. She's good._

 _She's more than a thousand years old, Kevin. Asari don't get old by being fools._

I bowed low, pressing my hand to my chest and to my forehead.

"The blessings of Mother and Father go with you, Sha'ira of Thessia."

She smiled, replying with a old-fashioned asari curtsey.

"Athame guide and guard you, _Imperator_."

I made my way back out into the lobby. Looking around, I saw Kolyat standing by the entrance. Right where I'd left him. But he wasn't alone.

"Tali? Is everything alright?"

The young quarian shot to her feet.

"Oh, Ko'le! I was hoping to catch you… EDI said that you'd be here. I… I needed to… talk to you."

"Of course!" I said, giving Kolyat a quick nod. The drell nodded, and pulled out his Omni-Tool to summon a Skycar.

"What's going on?"

"Well, I've been given a rare opportunity, and I don't know… what to do."

"What is it?"

"You remember Haestrom?"

"Kinda hard to forget," I chuckled. "Dark energy emanating from the sun, geth swarming EVERYWHERE."

"Well… I may be going there."

"Come again?"

Tali wrung her hands in that nervous gesture she always did.

"I mean… Magi Agwe wants to study the sun's dark energy, and apparently _someone_ told him I was an 'engineer without peer.'"

"I just told him you were the best that I knew."

"Thanks…. Anyway, he asked me if I would go with him and help study the quarian ruins… Ko'le, that's the only surviving sample of pre-geth quarian architecture left in the galaxy! If I… I mean… this could be huge for my people, as we're trying to rediscover ourselves on a strange and new planet…"

"I think you should go."

" _Really?_ But… but… the _Normandy_ …"

"…Will still be there for you when the mission is over. It will probably take me a full engineering staff to replace the work you can do alone, but I think I can manage."

"Well…"

"Tali… _go_. This could be a great boon to your people. And Agwe was one of the best Magi in the Empire. Still is, I suppose. You're safe with him. He's a noble warrior. A bit stuck-up, but with a good heart where it counts."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that… because he wants to leave this afternoon."

"So soon?"

"Well, we're going back to Kahje to collect the rest of the expedition, and we've probably got weeks of simulations to run before we ever make the jump to the system. Dark energy is not something I'm comfortable taking shortcuts with…"

 _That's our Tali…._

"Magi Agwe is wise," I said, smiling. "You can do this, Tali. But be safe. And stay in contact."

I opened my arms and gave her a hug, which she returned.

"MIRA and a number of the New Geth say that they are returning as well," Tali said. "They know the planet better than anyone."

"Then you'll be in doubly-good hands," I said, releasing her from the embrace. "Keelah se'lai, Tali vas Normandy."

"Keelah se'lai, Ko'le vas Protea."

The skycar came roaring down at that point, ready to take me to the Presidium Proper.

"And now I've got to go yell at bureaucrats," I sighed, opening the passenger door.

"Try not to shoot anyone," Tali said, a chuckle escaping her.

"No promises!"

* * *

 ***CITADEL COUNCIL CHAMBERS*  
THE PRESIDUM  
THE CITADEL**

I left Kolyat at the skycar station, despite his protests that I might still need a bodyguard. As I made my way towards the main Council Chamber, I saw a familiar figure sitting on one of the benches. I checked my Omni-Tool quickly.

 _Nope. No messages._

"How did the meeting go?" I asked.

Ash turned to me, slowly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were with Cerberus?"

 _SHIT._

"What did they tell you?" I asked.

"What does it matter?" she incredulously retorted. "What could you _possibly_ say that would make working with a xenophobic _terrorist organization_ OK?"

"That I am not working with them."

"Bullshit. They have everything, Ko'le… records, ships, even personnel. Hell, Petrovsky is the Illusive Man's right hand!"

"I destroyed Cerberus. There is nothing left."

"Oh, that's….. What?"

I smiled mirthlessly.

"I took Cerberus for every dime they had. General Petrovsky used the Illusive Man's trust and his placement in the organization to seize control of the ships and logistical resources. I, on the other hand, tracked down the Illusive Man to his hiding place. I ran my fucking sword through his chest and with his Master Access Codes, I seized every gpddam bank account Cerberus ever owned, down the last credit. I took a group of human-centric racists and integrated them into the Immortals, purging every trace of the original organization from the face of the galaxy."

I took a moment, sighing deeply.

"I'm not in bed _with_ the Illusive Man, Ash. I fucking BURIED him in an unmarked grave in the Allegheny Mountains."

Ash's mouth was still slightly agape. She closed it, slowly and deliberately.

"That….is…. Wow, once again, we Williams are able to leap to the worst conclusion in a single bound. It's a… special talent of ours. Serves us well…."

"Well then," I said, taking another deep breath. "Now that we've established I'm _not_ a galactic terrorist, what else did you and Hackett talk about this morning?"

"I can't talk about details," Ash said ruefully. "Classified."

"It's ok, I get that."

"I _can_ say that it looks like slavers are hitting some Terminus System colonies though. Everyone gone without a trace. Me and 'select few' Alliance personnel are going on a goodwill tour through the colonies, helping train their local security forces, helping set up defense turrets, that sort of thing."

 _Ahhh. THIS is how she winds up at Horizon._

 _It's amazing how the timeline seems to progress the same direction, even with all of our manipulations…_

 _Not exactly the same direction. I like to think we've made more of an impact that that…_

"Are you ok?"

I started back to the present conversation.

"Sorry, what?"

Ash shook her head.

"I'm saying that Udina seemed to hint that the Council is looking for the next human Spectre. But you don't think they're seriously considering _me_ , do you?"

 _See? Plot change right there._

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Makes sense though, given your connection with Shepard. And Eden Prime, too."

Ash's face fell.

"Yeah, that one I'm not too proud of."

I placed a hand on her knee.

"You survived. It's like you said: we never need to be ashamed of that."

She reached over and squeezed my hand back. I stood up.

"And now, speaking of surviving, I'm late for the Battle of the Council and Conclave."

"Good luck," Ashley said, smiling.

"Catch you after?"

"You bet. And Ko'le?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for assuming the worst about you."

I shrugged again.

"You're a Williams, Ashley. Worst-case scenarios are kinda your thing."

Before she could retort, I was walking up the nearby steps, two at a time. A Keeper was typing away at a control panel, going through multiple diagnostics, by the look of it. It looked over at me and gave an _almost_ imperceptible nod.

 **THEY HAVE ALREADY BEGUN, ORDAINED,** a voice in my head echoed.

 _"My thanks for the warning, friend."_

I walked up the last set of steps. In front of me was the large amphitheater where the four traditional Council stations stood. The same place Saren had died and where Shepard had been named the first human Spectre.

But today, a slightly larger meeting area was needed. I took the elevator down into the botanical gardens beneath us. In my mind's eye I could see the exact places where I would be trying to shoot Sovereign in the video game boss level.

 _Too bad we were unconscious for that in real life, when it, you know, actually COUNTED._

 _We did have a hover-platform crash ON TOP of us. We could have died…_

A door on the far end of the garden opened to reveal a great chamber, around which were seated each of the members of the Council: Sparatus, Tevos, Esheel, and Udina. Calyn, Kylee, Shiala, Javik, and Zaal'Koris were seated also. Joining us via hologram were the absent Conclave Circle members: Din Korlack, He Who Speaks For Others, and Oleg Petrovsky. Also seated in the room were the two Batarian Hegemony ambassadors, Moshi'ikal Balak, and Xerol Shaaryak. Mira, representing the New Geth, was also joining us, as was Raloi ambassador Ari'ka, who was currently speaking. He paused to note my arrival, but I discreetly waved my hand for him to continue.

"…The ship was recovered floating just off of the Theta Relay. The crew were all discovered to be in the early stages of decomposition," he continued as I found my seat. I brought up my local display and reacquainted myself with the report Ari'ka was giving.

Apparently, a batarian slave-ship had slipped past the planetary blockade of Turvess that a joint Council/Conclave Task Force was enforcing. The crew had kidnapped Raloians, in hopes of selling the first Raloi slaves on the Black Market, for a small fortune each.

However, apparently nabbing unvaccinated carriers of the H7N7 virus was not a good idea.

"The twelve Raloi were discovered alive and healthy, living off of the ship's food supplies, but they had no knowledge of how to fly the ship or send a distress call," Ari'ka was saying. "They have since been relocated back to their families on Turvess."

Xerol Shaaryak stood to his feet, hands folded respectfully. Ari'ka looked across the room and nodded at him before resuming his seat. Xerol gave a polite batarian nod before replying.

"Ambassador Ari'ka: the Hegemony offers its humblest and sincerest apologies to our brothers, the Raloi. Since the death of the Hegemon, it would appear that some of the _lesser_ Houses," he spat the word, "have taken the Hegemony's lack of central leadership as license to disregard our ancient laws and spit upon our most sacred traditions. The vessel in question has been identified as the _Kur-Ma_ , belonging to House Ur'kell, one of the Lesser Houses of Khar'shan."

I did not miss the glare that Moshi'ikal was giving his colleague.

 _Do you think House Balak was in on it?_

 _I do not know, Kevin. I'm surprised the Hegemony is taking any responsibility at all._

"House Ur'kell," continued Xerol, "has been declared…. _Tarhg."_

Tarhg: an Old Batarian word meaning "broken" or "shattered." To the best of my knowledge, it was the worst fate that could befall any batarian House, Lesser or Greater.

"By the unanimous vote, and with the full authority, of the High Council, all members of House Ur'kell have been banished from Hegemony Space. They have stripped of all ranks, holdings, riches, and properties. Its vassals have been declared _Tarhg-kata:_ Broken Ones. As such, any of them found within Hegemony Space may be imprisoned, enslaved, or killed on sight by any loyal citizen of the Hegemony."

Xerol paused, the weight of his words sinking in for the seated representatives around him.

"This we have done to show that, Hegemon or no Hegemon, the Law of the Pillars must be upheld by the High Council. We will tolerate neither wonton chaos nor the preying upon of the innocent. All of the Houses, Lesser and Greater, have been issued orders to respect the quarantine of Turvess, or suffer the same fate. Furthermore," he continued, "we will make whatever reparations to the victims of this senseless act of violence that the governing body of Turvess see fit and just."

Ari'ka stood up again to answer.

"We… are humbled by such a show of support," he replied, bowing graciously. "Monetary recompense or reparation is not nearly as important to the Raloi as knowing who they can trust."

 _Ouch. Burn._

"Be that as it may," he resumed without skipping a beat, "Councilors; honored representatives: a great moment for my people has come: one sung about by the great Poets of old, and the Songsters of Legend: the _skaas,_ or flocks _,_ of the Raloi have come together. Elo'khim of the North, Gem'jix of the South, even the Black Orrocs, have all come together to form the Great Skaa. One Flock, one Council, one ruling body, by whose song that all Raloi will abide. And that Great Skaa has concluded that we are still too new to this galaxy. Our citizens, like young hatchlings on a precipice, are still in danger of slipping and falling to their doom; still in danger of being overwhelmed and taken advantage of in this great galaxy in which we have found ourselves fellow citizens.

Therefore, the quarantine of the planet Turvess shall continue, both for your safety and ours, as the H7N7 vaccine is still being distributed to our wider populations. However," he continued graciously, "Like hatchlings, if we never stretch our wings, we will flounder and die upon the rocks. To that end, we have accepted the offer of the Conclave for the construction of extraterrestrial trading stations in orbit around our planet, where we will be pleased to trade openly and honestly with our brothers and sisters of the Council, the Conclave and the Hegemony. Furthermore, we have accepted the offer of the Conclave for status as a client race, and have submitted our candidacy for full membership of the Circle."

There was as stir as the representatives responded to this news. Tevos stood and launched into a carefully worded speech of welcoming the Raloi into the wider galactic community, but her words and her demeanor were belied by the serious, troubled look on the other Council members' faces. Udina in particular looked like he had just swallowed an egg.

 _They're just pissed the Conclave has gathered_ _another_ _race and planet of resources._

 _Nay, Kevin. He is troubled by what this represents: that the Council is no longer the premier authority and protector recognized by newcomers to the galaxy. If they were, the Raloi would have petitioned them for client status._

The next item on the agenda was access to the Prothean technology of Ilos.

"The rediscovery of the planet represents a significant shift in the level of Prothean technology available to the galactic community," Esheel stated, her voice resonating the logic and carefully-calculated phrasing befitting a representative of her race.

"I would have thought the discovery of a living Prothean would have represented a larger shift, Councilor," Oleg Petrovsky stated, earning a few chuckles around the room.

"My point exactly, General," Esheel continued unphased. "We have achieved what we have achieved together: by the free exchange and sharing of Prothean-era data, technology, and resources. Access to Prothean tech and data cannot be restricted to a single political entity or people. The Protheans discovered on Eden Prime were the joint collective property of the galaxy, not the Conclave alone."

I could see Javik's eyes widen and his jaw clench. His emotional aura was one of dark fury and quiet rage. He leaned forward to stand, but I shot him an emotional signal of patience.

"That is OUR data, Councilor," I interrupted, getting to my feet. Esheel seemed shocked to be interrupted so brazenly, but she did not continue, yielding the floor to me.

"It is OUR cities you are excavating. It is OUR ruins you and your peoples have rummaged through for the past five millennia. It is OUR dead whose graves and resting places you desecrate and rob, in hopes of finding some _scrap_ of technology you can exploit to further your own civilizations."

A dumb silence had fallen upon the room, with no one quite sure how to respond to that. Only Javik and He Who Speaks for Others were nodding in agreement.

"But, the Prothean survivors and I have made no claims upon any Prothean data or resources that have been discovered in our long slumber. We did the same to the Inusannon who came before us, and we hold no ill-will or malice towards those who have behaved exactly as we did, when the Empire was young and forming."

Faces and expressions were visibly relaxing at this point.

"But what data and resources the Conclave has gained, it has returned to the Awakened, it original and rightful owners. And the Awakened will keep it, sharing with the rest of the Conclave and the wider galaxy only what they are willing to, and not one kilobyte more."

"Except for entire planets, it would seem," the turian councilor retorted.

 _"Sparatus,"_ hissed Esheel.

"Ilos was given to the Conclave as a gift, Councilor," I reminded Sparatus. "The Council ceded all rights to the planet. And the Conclave has elected to use the planet to provide a home, not only to the Awakened, but to an exiled people who lost their home centuries ago."

Sparatus shot to his feet, ignoring the murmured or frantic protests of his colleagues.

"WHEN the Council ceded those rights to the Conclave," he replied, his mandibles quivering with barely-contained anger, "It was with the understanding that the Illuminated Primacy wished to hold the planet for study and historic preservation. Not to be GIVEN AWAY to…. To…"

"To _what_ , Councilor?" asked Zaal'Koris, now rising to his feet. "To 'Suit Rats'? To 'guttersnipes'? 'Space gypsies'? This Council lost the right long ago to have _any_ say in the fate of the quarian people. We came to you, alone and afraid, exiles from war-torn planet, and you spurned us. You drove us away, to die in the loneliness of space. But we SURVIVED, and now that we've found a home and a community willing to accept us, you suddenly feel that you have the right to _object?_ "

"THIS COUNCIL has kept the galaxy safe for millennia!" yelled Sparatus. "WE drove the Rachni back, saving ALL of you from extinction! WE drove the Krogan back to their irradiated _shithole_ of a planet, saving ALL of you slavery! WE…"

"…initiated First Contact with the humans with blasters and cannon-fire," I interrupted. "THE TURIANS have hidden atomic bombs in the sacred valleys of Tuchanka LONG after the Rebellion was over and the genophage was unleashed upon the krogan."

I brought up my Omni-Tool, forwarding the intelligence _en masse_ to every representative seated around the room. Sparatus looked at the viewscreen, turning paler than I knew a turian could.

"The Salarians uplifted a barbaric and savage race to the stars, and then wondered at the monsters they had created," I continued, forwarding more data files. "And then, after centuries of war, once they had neutered their new pets, they continue to do so on Sur'Kesh, running experiments upon the Yahg, in direct violation of their own Council's orders."

Images of Yahgs in cages, studied and guarded by salarians, came across the view screens.

"WHERE did you obtain these images?" Esheel demanded, her voice going shrill.

"The Asari?" I continued, my blood boiling at this point. "The Asari, despite the kind words of Ambassador Esheel about free and unfettered exchange of data, have had access to a Prothean database for longer than the Council has existed."

" _What_?" whispered Tevos, her skin paling. " _How…"_ she wondered silently, her eyes widening as she suddenly realized who she was talking to.

"In the very center of their civilization, the Great Temple of Athame," I said, forwarding Prothean images of the Thessian Beacon, next to a comparative image of the Great Temple's Location. "You even had the audacity to build your goddess' statue around it…"

Shocked looks were being exchanged around the room, with the exception of Javik, who sat there, smiling grimly, and, I noticed, Xerol, whose face was an expressionless stare of careful contemplation.

"In on top of it all, Councilor," I continued. "This Council _failed_ to warn the rest of the galaxy of the imminent threat of Sovereign and the geth fleet, despite multiple warnings from _several_ different sources to do so."

Mira and I shared a look, with her nodding resolutely.

"And when your worst nightmare came true and your _own_ Spectre came to your very gates with war and destruction, you _abandoned_ your posts, your people, your station, and your fellow ambassadors. The _Destiny Ascension_ had the capacity for another three or four _thousand_ souls, and it departed with only a skeleton crew, a mistake that, if not for the arrival of the _Virago_ and the _Hira,_ and the Alliance Fifth Fleet, would have cost you your lives.

The day you placed the _comfort_ of the people above their _freedom_ and _security_ , was the day that you lost the right to control any of those things. The day you _abandoned_ the people to save your own lives was the day you lost the right to command and control the lives of the people.

We have no ill designs upon the Citadel. We bear no ill-will towards the Council. But make no mistake: you are not in command of the galaxy any longer. You have had uncontrolled and unchecked power for too long, and you have taken the weight of that responsibility for granted, and so, the weight of that responsibility has been _taken away_ from you. You now have but two choices: you may join us here at the table as our _equals_ , and _partners_ going forward into the future, or you can. FUCK. OFF. Get on board, or get out the way. Those are your options."

A stunned silence rested upon the room. Udina slowly rose to his feet, taking a deep breath.

"Yes… well, I think it's clear that it's going to be a long road ahead of us towards trust and cooperation. Shall we… adjourn for the day?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **My thanks and humble apologies to all of you awesome readers. For those who may not know, my grandmother had a heart attack, and on top of university finals, my full-time job, and spending time at the hospital, time to properly dedicate to Beacon's Effect has been lacking. But now that my grandmother is home, healthy and safe, and university finals are winding down, and summer draws closer, more regular updates can resume, Father willing, (as Ko'le would say).**

 **My thanks to all the awesome readers who have emailed and PM'ed me to check in, and to the awesome reviewers who have left me touching words of comfort and support! Hope this longer chapter goes a** ** _little_** **ways towards me properly thanking you for your love and patience!**

 **Send me your thoughts, and please review to let me know what you liked, and what you'd like to see!**

 **You guys ROCK!**

 **\- Tusken1602**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

Omicron223 – Revan is actually one of my inspirations behind the character of Ko'le. Originally the story of Beacon's Effect was Revan finding his way into the Mass Effect Universe! :D I may still write that story, I dunno. It kinda morphed into an SI along the way by the second or third draft….

Asahar4 – LOL. I don't think Ko'le is what you'd call the womanizing type, and I think Ash realizes that….

Berserker of Klyntar, general-joseph-dickson – They tried to break them up… dunno how well it worked…

Anonymous, Deathknight999 – Yep. They picked up the Idiot Ball again.

caleb_meyer0 – By "Dr. device", which one do you mean? There are so many doctors and so many devices…. Lol

tamagat – Oooooohh yeah.

Appbeza – Thanks. I'm trying to give my characters a little more emotional depth since my first chapter in Beacon's Effect 1, and I think it's getting better, though I know I have far to go.

LordGhostStiker – LOL.

Elvisfonz23, METALHELLSPWN, Nagato21, Squadpunk 2.0, Zeru'Xil – Glad you liked the Raloi. Have a lot of cool ideas for them that I think you guys will like!

Blaze1992, BJ Hanssen, griezz – Ko'le and the Batarian Hegemony is going to be a carefully-treaded tightrope of a relationship. Xerol will be a fun character to interact with for Ko'le.

Anny-Rudolph, Kailstormfire, priceless22, Anon, Breather, 5 Coloured Walker, RandomDude05, BrotherCaptainSheperd, shugokage, ronnambi, Lanilen, Tahkaullus01 – Thanks, everybody! You brighten my day with your reviews, and they have helped me get through a very tough time lately, you have no idea. I'm deeply in your debt! Keep on being awesome, and as long as you guys want it, I'll do my best to bring you the best stories I can!


	24. Chapter 24: God, Man, or Beast?

***HESHTOK*  
KYZIL SYSTEM  
THE SHRIKE ABYSSAL**

A massive explosion went off to our right. An armored figure emerged from the fireball, rolling up to ram her Omni-Blade into a vorcha's face. In her free hand a pistol came up and fired three shots: one to each of his knees and his heart.

"Now THIS is my kind of therapy, Ko'le!" she called over to me, letting the vorcha slide off her blade.

"I'm so glad for you, Jane," I snarked, chucking a grenade into the underbrush ahead. "I'll be sure to schedule our next session soon!"

The panicked screams before the explosion went off confirmed my suspicion of a concealed ambush ahead.

Well, _formerly_ concealed.

Lieutenant was in my hand and I began dispatching vorcha left and right.

"Sergeant-Major," I said over the radio.

"Sah?"

"We've run into some more of your friends over here. A grand entrance would not go amiss…"

"Roger that, sah. Incoming now."

The low whine of an orbital DropPod could be heard as Jane and I leapt behind a fallen log for cover.

 _How did we even get here?_ I wondered.

I should probably back-track to explain…

* * *

 ***THREE WEEKS EARLIER*  
THE CITADEL  
WIDOW RELAY  
SERPENT NEBULAE**

After I had unloaded both barrels of political blackmail in the faces of the Council, and Udina had wisely called a tactical "Time-Out," the Conclave met in our pre-determined location in the Wards. We were not fools enough to think our "embassy" was secure from the watchful eyes and ears of C-Sec, Spectres, SIU, or the STG.

"Well, that went… precisely as we planned," Shiala said, taking a seat. "Did you see Tevos' face? _Priceless._ "

"With bemused solidarity," Calyn intoned, "Their negotiating platform has been extremely weakened."

The Raloi Ari'ka looked around the room, somewhat confused.

"So… what is the next step? Demanding concessions based upon what we know?"

"I leave," I said decisively, "under the appearance that the rest of you requested my… absence. The Council will assume that there is division in our own ranks. They will seek to take advantage of that, by extending far more generous trade and treaty concessions than we could ever extort from them. This will be done to 'win over' those whom they perceive as my opponents here in the Circle."

Ari'ka looked confused, but gradually understanding dawned in the Raloian.

"What they perceive as division and weakness…"

"Will be our own strength and unity."

"But are we so sure they will fall for this… ruse?" Zaal'Koris asked. "Our little 'revelations,' satisfying as they may have been, might antagonize the Council against the Conclave in general."

Calyn answered before I could, "Bemused observance: They will believe that we are divided and squabbling because _they_ are divided and squabbling. They will believe that we keep secrets from one another because _they_ do. With sorrowful certainty: That a group of different races can truly work together for the _Greater Good_ , and not merely _Mutual Benefit_ , is a concept incomprehensible to them."

"If their own song is so discordant, they cannot hear the harmonies of other's melodies," Kylee said, her eyes going white.

"The Queen is right: We have shown them the depth of the water," He-Who-Speaks-For-Others added, "In seeking to swim, they will take the first hand that is offered."

"Meanwhile," Shiala continued, "Those observed or seen to be in the Imperator's camp will make overtures to the batarians. There is little love lost between the Turian Hierarchy and the Hegemony these days. Even less so with the System Alliance. They are eager for allies outside of the Council."

"Xerol seems to be the voice of reason," Din Korlack added. "If possible, we should begin to offer support for his campaign for Hegemon. Discreetly, of course."

"But we also cannot forget," General Petrovsky added, his hologram leaning forward. "The Hegemony has been studying the dismantled remains of a dead Reaper for nearly 5 years now. It's possible that many of the upper echelons of their military and certainly their scientific divisions are now… indoctrinated."

"Not 'Possible', general; _Likely_ ," Javik said grimly. "Our Magi are in the process of construction of a device that, if successful, will be able to detect signs of Reaper indoctrination. It is… still in the design stage, however."

"I agree with the General," I nodded, "We should proceed with all due caution, leaving nothing to chance."

"Where will you go, Herald?" He-Who-Speaks-For-Others asked. "Back to Kahje?"

"I don't' think so," I answered. "There are still unsecured sectors in the Terminus Systems. A few of the Terminus warlords may be trying to forge some kind of truce or alliance to fight against us. If so, that cannot be allowed to stand. Also, we still have had no sign of the _Purgatory_ , Kuril, Jedore, or the remainder of the Blue Suns."

Mira caught my eye and nodded her head toward the door. We walked out together as Din Korlack began a discussion with Rhysan and Ari'ka about the trade stations that the Conclave would place around Turvess.

"What's up?" I asked when we were out of earshot. "Did you talk to EDI?"

"I did," Mira nodded. "And I'm worried-slash-excited-slash-concerned."

"OK… you're gonna have to clarify that."

"She's experiencing a tremendous amount of guilt about what happened on the _Alarei_."

"That's wasn't…"

"Her fault, I know," Mira continued, "and I told her as much. She's just… processing the ramifications of taking a life. Especially when A.I. is still a pretty liberal definition of _'alive'_ these days."

"Not to me," I said emphatically.

Mira gave me an odd look, and then reached up and kissed me on the cheek. Her metallic lips were much warmer than I was expecting.

"You're an odd, strange little man, Kevin Troy," she said, looking deeply in my eyes.

"Mira…."

"Don't 'Mira' me, young man. I know you're still in there, Kevin. And I think, what with everyone needing big, bad Ko'le around, that you don't give yourself enough credit. Ko'le would have left EDI and me where we were, dismissing us without a second thought as the synthetics he fought for so long. EDI is alive because of you. _I am alive_ because of you, Kevin. And it is that definition of life that EDI is struggling with at the moment, especially since she has ended the lives of so many. That it weighs heavily upon her, I take as a good sign. It means that life is valuable to her, a value that Ko'le here," she tapped my forehead, "and I tend to take to take for granted sometimes, in our attempts to keep _everyone_ alive. I'm glad you're here to anchor us back where we need to be."

I nodded slowly, taking Mira's hands in mine.

"Thank…. Thank you, Mira. Kevin needed…. _I_ … needed that. I'll keep an eye on EDI in the weeks to come. Speaking of which, the New Geth are headed back to Haestrom, I hear?"

Mira nodded, still not relinquishing my hands, I noticed.

"We know the planet better than anyone. To bring Zaal'Koris back some artifacts or technology of his people's Golden Age will go a long way towards currying goodwill and trust with the quarians, I think. And besides, somebody's gotta keep an eye on Tali."

"I appreciate that, but don't forget to keep an eye out for _you_ ," I insisted.

"You're cute when you fret, Kev," Mira said, smiling coyly and giving me a peck on the other cheek. "Now," she said, releasing my hands, "You're receiving a call from Klaang."

I looked down at my Omni-Tool to see that she was right. I looked up, slightly confused. Mira raised an eyebrow.

"I _was_ your own implanted secretary once, remember?"

I smiled back, and then answered the call.

"Klaang!"

The old krogan was hunched down VERY close to the screen, apparently trying to adjust the resolution.

"Ko'le? Is this... is this on? Dammnit, I can't work these…."

"Hang on, Da!" came a small voice, and suddenly the image cleared up, and the face of a young krogan pup appeared on the screen. "I's gonna fix… Oh, hi, Unka Ko'le!"

I smiled broadly.

"Hello, Drot! How are you?"

"GREAT! Da says we're gonna go live on ya BIG space station!"

"You young pup!" came Klaang's voice, and there was a delighted squeal of mischief, and sounds of play-wrestling in the background, while the camera bounced around back and forth. In a moment, though, the Omni-Tool was taken away from Drot to show Klaang again.

"Well, there goes the reason I was calling you. I was gonna make you sweat about it, too, if the runt hadn't spoiled the surprise."

I sighed with relief.

 _Another weight lifted off my shoulders._

"I'm glad you accepted my offer, my friend. I'm departing the station tomorrow, at around 0800 CST. Is that enough time for you to join us, or should I arrange a shuttle for you and Drot later?"

Klaang rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm… I've got some business to take care of here on-station that will take a least a few cycles. If you can arrange passage, Drot and I will head to Starlight Station within the week."

"Consider it done, my friend. My people will be in touch. You honor me with your friendship, Thax Klaang."

Klaang smiled and nodded.

"It is well-earned, brother. Victory for clan and kin."

"For clan and kin," I repeated, and then Klaang cut off the call.

 _Well, that's a load off my mind._

 _Indeed. He will prove a worthy ally in the war to come._

I gathered my thoughts, and rejoined Kolyat, who was still leaning sullenly against the Skycar, right where I left him. On our way back to my apartment, I sent off a message to Ashley, telling her I was now free.

However, as we were landing on the roof platform at the apartment complex, I saw an armored figure waiting for us. I got out and was treated to a crisp and proper salute from the Sergeant-Major of the 1st Heshtok Irregulars.

 _No fucking way…_

"New armor, Morell?"

"New material supplied from Kanala Exports, sah. I believe they call it…"

" _Blood Dragon Armor_ …" I said in a hushed whisper.

"Got it in one, sah! Bally splendid kit, sah. Bally splendid." Modded it a bit to fit the ol' vorcha physicality, but all's well that comes out in the wash, eh, wot?"

Then it suddenly seemed to occur to Pyke that he had followed me into my apartment.

"I do hope I'm not intruding, sah. Orders from the General and all, but if this is a bad time, I can…"

"No, no, no, carry on, Sergeant-Major," I said, pouring myself a drink. "Drink?"

"Thankya, no, sah. Never touch the stuff."

I nodded. "Probably wise. Is everything ready?"

"Indeed, sah. Just as you instructed. We will be ready to depart as soon as you're ready."

"Very good, Morell. Now, General Petrovsky said you had an 'interesting proposition.' What might that be?"

Pyke Morell snapped his heels together.

"Sah! Very good, sah. Straight to the point! Always said that was the mark of a good h'officer, sah! In short, I would need to withdraw the 1st Heshtok Irregulars for an independent action for an indeterminate amount of time, sah."

I started in surprise.

 _Well. That was unexpected._

"For what purpose?"

"A Blood Pack commander is recruiting a vorcha army on Heshtok."

 _The vorcha homeworld_.

"Ordinarily, of course, sah, this would pretty small potatoes. However, Quash Hurgott claims to have something that, instead of recruiting the few dozen or so as normal, could bring _thousands_ of vorcha to his banner."

I arched my eyebrows.

"What is his secret?"

"He claims to be able to expand vorcha lifetimes to krogan or asari levels."

I nearly choked.

"In the Quiet Words of the Virgin Mary," Kevin said incredulously, "come again?"

"Yes, sah. Hurgott has sent word out to the major clans, promising, essentially, eternal life in exchange for serving him. So far, the word is he's been extraordinarily successful in his recruitment methods."

"Is there any confirmation that he has the _science_ to back up his claims?" I asked.

"None, sah. But either way, it's got to be nipped in the bud at once. If he does _not_ have life-expansion technologies, he's a lying bastard, pardon my Basic, and deserves to be put down. If, on the other hand, he _does_..."

"The Blood-Pack would have a near-invincible army at their command," I finished for him. "Well, then, it's decided."

"Jolly, good, sah!" Pyke replied, before a confused look came across his face. "Beggin' ya pardon, sah, but _what_ is?"

"I'm coming with you."

* * *

* **HESHTOK*  
KYZIL SYSTEM  
THE SHRIKE ABYSSAL  
PRESENT DAY**

 _Oh, right._ _That's_ _how we got here._

A spear came through the underbrush, the flint spearhead shattering against my helmet. The vorcha at the other end of the spear howled his rage and frustration, right up until I severed his head from his body.

A scream caught my attention and I saw two vorcha wailing away at a fallen armored figure.

 _Jane_.

I launched a warp that caught both vorcha in the back and sent them into the nearby trees at _very_ unnatural angles, coupled with tremendous force. I ran over to cover Jane as she got back up. She had lost her rifle somewhere, and she hand only her Omni-Blade on her left hand and a _GIANT ASS_ Bowie knife in her right. Her ear was split, and there were three long gashes running down the right side of her face.

"You Ok?" I said, trying to assess her injuries and starting to apply Medi-Gel.

Jane's eyes looked past me and her eyes went wide. She reached out and shoved me down, hurling her knife at the same time. I whirled, Lieutenant in hand, so see a vorcha literally skewered to a tree by his head.

"I'm _fucking_ awesome," Jane said, grinning broadly through blood-stained teeth.

"Great," I said, helping her to her feet. "Kelly would kill me if anything happened to you."

"Then you shouldn't have let me come," Jane said, activating the mag-pulse in her glove, which recalled the knife to her hand. She sheathed it, and pulsed again to bring her Quarian Battle Rifle back to her. "And you _definitely_ shouldn't have given me so many toys to play with."

"Fair point," I conceded, pulling out my own Battle Rifle, and the two of us moved back through the underbrush, laying down a deadly cover-fire for our vorcha compatriots.

As far as Jane being there, that… was not exactly planned.

* * *

 ***TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO*  
STARLIGHT STATION  
IN ORBIT ABOVE KAHJE**

"Absolutely NOT! Out of the question."

"Why the hell not?" Jane asked. "Kelly and all the rest of the quacks said that combat might be a trigger for a lot of my base memories."

"Yes, as an argument that you should _stay the fuck away_ from combat."

"This is who I am!" Jane said, gesturing to her body. "Sure, in a roundabout way, but I am a Shepard. And we're _fighters_."

"Whatever happened to the grand plan to take up crochet?" I asked good-naturedly.

"Ko'le, I'm serious," Jane said, grabbing my arm. "If I stay cooped up here any longer, I'm going to go crazy. I have all of these _pseudo_ memories of Basic Training, of N7 training, and NONE of them actually happened to me! I know…. _How_ to fight. But that's not enough for me."

She stepped in front of me, cutting off my path.

"Not anymore."

I sighed deeply. I _wanted_ to take her with me, but to bring Jane into combat… against _vorcha_ , of all things….

"Tell you what," Jane said, crossing her arms. "You don't think I'm ready? You, me and the mat. I beat you, you'll know I'm ready."

 _Intriguing_.

"And _when_ I beat you?" I asked.

She ignored my jab entirely. "You beat me, I'll shut up about it, and I'll know that I still need more training."

I chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"How very similar to Rebecca you turn out to be sometimes. Ok, Jane, you're on."

She grinned from ear to ear, then practically skipped over to the elevator. I followed, shouldering the duffel bag I was carrying.

"You know I'm gonna kick your ass, right?" I asked her on the elevator ride down.

"Keep on talkin', big man," she said, shaking her head. "Pride goes before a fall."

"Destruction."

"Huh?"

"The quote from the Christian Bible is, 'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.'"

"Whatever."

We reached the gym level, and the doors opened. I set down the duffel bag by the door, noticing that we were not alone in the room. On the far side of the room were two very different figures. One of them I recognized as Turro'le, a Raloi warrior who was one of many representatives that Turvess had sent out to go on "walkabout." Basically, to observe, see what they could see, and then come back to tell the story. He was delivering _devastating_ side-kicks to several punching bags that were hanging around him. The tips of his wings were curling up into fists that could split a bag with the sheer force of their hit, if the sand on the floor was any indication. Sitting on the floor opposite him was Thax Drot. The little krogan, as you can probably guess, had made himself the honorary child of the entire station within a week of his and his dad's arrival. But his fascination with Starlight Station was nothing compared to his _wonder_ at the Raloi's appearance. He had taken to following Turro around almost 24/7. Turro acted much put out and annoyed, but I could tell Drot was slowly winning him over, bit by bit.

"HIYA, UNKA KO'LE! HIYA, JANNIE!" squealed Drot upon seeing us enter. He waved a chubby hand at us from his perch on one of the aforementioned leaking punching bags.

"Jannie", as Drot had affectionately dubbed Jane, smiled and rubbed the top of Drot's head with her knuckles, yelling, "Noogie TIME!" all to Drot's much repeated, but giggling protests. I turned to Turro, inclining my head.

"Turro."

"Imperator," the big, deep base of the Raloi warrior's voice answered. He bowed at the waist deeply. "Am I occupying the object of your desire?"

I took a moment to realize he was talking about the punching bags.

"No, no," I answered. "Just a friendly spar between Jane and me."

Drot's face lit up when he heard that.

"HUUUUHHHH? You and Unka Ko'le gonna wrassle, Jannie?"

"Yep," Jane confirmed.

"You gonna Whup His Asses?"

"Where did you hear _that?"_ I asked incredulously, all while trying (unsuccessfully) not to laugh.

"Da says that all the time to da assisstasents that try to help him out, sometimes."

"Well, yes, Drot," Jane said, laughing, and then giving Drot a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm gonna 'whup his asses'."

"She is going to _try_ ," I corrected, stepping under the rope into the sparring ring.

"OH, 'dis gonna be GREAT! Right, Big Turroro?"

"Turroro" nodded thoughtfully.

"It will at least provide interesting data to report back to College of the Eyrie," he said, moving to get to a better vantage point. "I have yet to see the _Imperator_ in action."

"Well, I'll try to disappoint then," I said, grinning. Jane stepped into the ring with me, squaring off. "Master Turro'le, would you do us the honor of keeping time?"

"Sir?"

"Of keeping track of how long the match lasts."

"Oh," he said, bringing up his Omni-Tool. "Of course. Aaaand… begin."

I strode forwards, and then suddenly spun right to deliver a roundhouse kick…..

…and got a round to my chest from the Scorpion pistol that suddenly appeared in Jane's hand. It sent me across the ring, landing me flat on my back, gasping for breath as the bruises started to form.

"Whaaaa…. What?" I managed to wheeze.

"That was approximately 2.79 seconds, _Imperator_ ," Turro'le observed dryly.

"Wha…..Was that…. A _CARNAGE round?_ From a pistol?"

Jane folded the pistol and replaced it at the small of her back. "Just something R&D has been playing with," she said with a wicked grin on her face. "A non-lethal round designed to subjugate prisoners or rioters. Apparently it works…"

"DAT WAS AWESOME!" Drot squealed from the corner. "FIRST Unka Ko'le was like, Wham, and then Jannie was like, BOOM! And then Unka Ko'le was like, WOOOAAAHH!"

He fell onto his back, laughing hysterically and rolling on the floor.

"I'm glad _somebody_ finds this hilarious," I grunted.

"Oh, I'm laughing too," Jane said, still grinning.

"Me three," Turro added. "Most enjoyable. Very enlightening."

"So…" Jane said, offering me a hand. "Am I in?"

* * *

* **HESHTOK*  
KYZIL SYSTEM  
THE SHRIKE ABYSSAL  
PRESENT DAY**

Sitting around a fire, Jane continued to sharpen her Bowie knife. It had been a gift to her from Drot before we had left the station. Drot insisted that, "I makeded this," though his father's handiwork was fairly obvious upon inspection of the knife.

"How's the face?" I asked, sitting down next to her.

"I'll survive," Jane answered nonchalantly. "Might even get a cool scar out of it."

It was a very surreal experience, being surrounded by an army of vorcha, knowing that, just on the other side of the mountain, was _another_ army of vorcha we were going to have to fight tomorrow. Unlike vorcha, however, we didn't have healing factors out the wazoo. Even in my past cycle, four battles in four days would have been a feat.

Amongst a group of newly-arrived vorcha, a tall feathered figure made his way towards us.

" _Imperator_ , Jane-sha," Turro'le said, joining us around the fire. "I give thanks to the spirits that you have gone through this day unharmed."

He placed his giant energy bow down on the log beside him. The thing was nearly as tall as he was, which, for a nearly two and a half-meter tall alien is saying something.

"Not quite unharmed," I said, nodding towards Jane. With an expression of worry, Turro'le reached over and grabbed Jane's jaw before she could object, inspecting the wound.

"A clean gash," he said after a moment. "Could be worse. It might have taken your eye."

"I'm _fine_ , you two," Jane said. "How about you? Did you find more verses for your walkabout tale?"

" _Oh, no…._ " I half mumbled under my breath.

"Indeed," Turro answered. "These _mettai_ may be small in stature, but they have great hearts. Noble warriors, each of them. We were outnumbered fearfully, but the left flank held."

He lean leaned his head back, and began intoning in a sing-song voice:

 _The Saneesh, they were many  
The Irregulars, they were few  
But sure, their hearts were mighty  
and many foes they slew…_

"Why do you do this?" I asked, groaning. "Here we go again."

"I like it," Jane insisted.

Fortunately for me, only thirteen or so verses in, Pyke Morrell came up to the fire, conversing with what appeared to be a vorcha shaman. The shaman said something, and Pyke bowed before coming over to join us.

"Sah!" he said, sending a crisp salute.

"For the hundredth time, Sergeant-Major," I said, "You are in command of this expedition. I am here merely as tactical support. No need for 'sirs' and salutes."

"Frightfully sorry, sah, force of habit, doncha know," Pyke answered sheepishly as he sat down. "Master Turro'le: the left tells me that you performed particularly valiantly today."

"A warrior is only as valiant as his comrades," Turro said modestly. "Your men acted fearlessly. I could do no less."

"Thankee-sai, sirrah," Pyke said. A worried look crossed his face and he pointed to Jane's gash.

"Your face: Blade or claw?"

"Not you too," Jane sighed exasperatedly.

"Madam!" Pyke insisted. "Blade… or claw?"

"Claw," Jane answered finally.

Pyke visibly relaxed.

"Oh, thank the devils for that. The Saneesh are ruddy fond of poisoning their blades, the buggers. But fortunately for us, a lot of those buggers are going to be _joining_ us for the battle tomorrow."

That was the way it had been for the past week: Quash would throw a rival clan against us, using them to buy him time to retreat further down the valley. At the end of the day's battle, the survivors of that clan would mostly join us for the next day's battle. The Death-Claws, the Ma-To, the Jasneet, and now the Saneesh were now added to the ranks of the 1st Heshtok Irregulars.

"Any word on Hurgott?" Jane asked. "Or is he going to keep on sending waves and waves of cannon fodder?"

"His base has been set up right in the canyon at the end of the valley," Pyke said. "Our scouts have reported that there are still five or so Highland clans that still remain with him. He has no air support left, and no transports to escape."

"A cornered _raika_ is the most dangerous kind of _raika_ ," intoned Turro'le. "He will be desperate tomorrow."

"EDI," I said, bringing up my Omni-Tool, "No signs of any Blood Pack reinforcements?"

" **I have been scrambling Commander Hurgott's distress calls since we first entered the system,"** she answered. " **To the best of my considerable knowledge, the rest of the Blood Pack remains unaware of his plight. That, coupled with the new offensive on Omega by the Eclipse and Talons, all Blood Pack reinforcements have most likely been diverted there."**

"There will most likely be krogan in the ranks tomorrow," I said, thanking EDI and closing the coms, "But he will most likely…"

All of the Omni-Tools on our wrists simultaneously flared red, indicating the proximity alarms had been triggered. That, and the sound of distant gunfire from the picket line and sentries was another good clue.

"I HATE it when I'm right!" I yelled, kicking up my rifle, and putting my helmet back on my head. Pyke started yelling orders to his confederates, and Turro'le snatched up his enormous war bow.

I have to confess: the past four days had been _good_. Here, there was no grand, over-arching strategy. It was just back to the basic _kill_ or be _killed_. Someone tries to put you down, you return the favor.

"You ready?" I asked Jane.

She simply twirled her Bowie knife into its sheath, giving me _the look_.

"OooooK, then. Just checking."

Suddenly there was a sound of a distant roar, and the thundering of hundreds of feet in a pell-mell charge could be heard coming towards us.

"HOLD…." I said forcefully to the vorcha around us, straining at the start. "STEADY…"

We had set up a firing line, ready to catch our charging foes in a crossfire the moment they reached the clearing. There was a deafening roar, and a line of armored krogan burst forward, shotguns blazing in the dark.

"OPEN UP!" I yelled, unleashing my Battle Rifle on the oncoming figures. Turro'le bent back his war bow, the string and bolt glowing a brilliant purple in the moonlight. The bolt shot forward, distinct against the blue and red blaster fire. It caught one of the krogan directly in the forehead, knocking him on his back, where he twitched once and went still.

 _DAMN._ _I want one of THOSE._

 _Shut up, Kevin._

Several vorcha on our side ran forward to meet them, armed with mostly blades and spears, but these were mostly knocked aside by the krogan, who began to throw warps, throws, and biotic pulls. Turro'le began singing some kind of war song as he continued to send his "arrows" forward. Simultaneously, an armored figure ran past me on an intercept course for the nearest krogan.

"JANE, GODDAMMNIT! BACK IN LINE!"

My shout went unheeded, and Jane flung a grenade toward the krogan, who threw up a biotic barrier just as it exploded. The barrier collapsed, just in time for Jane to dive under the upraised shotgun and fire directly into the krogan's face. One shot, and the krogan's helmet cracked, along with probably his neck as the impact forced his head to snap back. The second shot, and pieces of the helmet were blasted away. The krogan lashed out with a kick, catching Jane in the chest and sending her back several yards.

 _FUCK._

I slashed forward with my sword, my blade catching the krogan in the stomach, slicing through the relatively-thinner plates found there. Grunting in pain, the krogan warrior dropped his shotgun, and a knife appeared in his hand to slash wildly back at me. I ducked under it and then dashed forward to nick the side of the neck that was now exposed. An arterial spray rewarded my efforts, and the krogan stumbled backward, clutching at his neck. Then he went down to a knee. And that's when I noticed something:

His eye was glowing.

Right where a section of his helmet was missing, a single eye gleamed out in the moonlit darkness. The blood-spray out the side of neck slowed, and then ceased altogether.

 _Even krogan_ _regeneration is not THAT good._

"Your friend Harbinger sends his regards" he almost _chuckled_. And then launched a warp at me. I brought my barriers up to block, and then two purple bolts tore into the still-kneeling krogan. The glowing eye went dark, and the body pitched forward.

"HARU! HARU!" Turro'le bellowed, throwing himself in front of the still prostrate Jane. Another krogan was charging, head lowered and thundering forward. Turro activated _something_ in that giant bow of his and a blade came out one of the ends, turning the weapon into a massive spear. Turro crouched and then leapt into the air, bringing the spear down in a perfectly-executed thrust. The blade caught the krogan in the throat, bringing him to a grinding halt in the grass. The skewered krogan was still thrashing, until Turro'le, twisting the spear with a flick of his wings, severed the head from the body.

"EE-RAH! BLOOD AND VINEGAR, CHAPS!"

Pyke Morrell's shout prompted a charge _en masse_ from our side. Modified vorcha, with eyes aglow, had begun to pour from the jungle as well. These were not armed… at all. Or at least, not with conventional weapons. Their claws, however, had been transformed into elongated blades coming from their hands. With a long, terrible, groaning _wail_ these were now running forward, almost dragging their arms on the ground.

 _SHIT BUGGER FUCK GOD DAMN IT FUCKING SHIT BLOODY THUNDER WILLIAM SHATNER CUNT!_

Ignoring Kevin's tirade of profanity, I moved forward, focusing on Ko'le's tactical mindset. Striding forward, I launched two singularities, strong enough to drag two of the nearest krogan off their feet. Once that was accomplished, the 1st Heshtokcould take them down piecemeal. Pyke leapt into the field generated by one of the singularities, floating freely four feet above the air. Floating alongside the flailing krogan, he simply raised each of his pistols and fired twice. They were splendid shots, each one taking out one of the krogan's eyes. The singularity timed out, and the krogan corpse and the vorcha Sergeant Major crashed to the ground. I turned to see Turro'le had collected Jane and was taking her to the rear, with one wing clutching her to his chest, the other spinning his bow-spear in an impossibly fast arc of destruction and death.

"MORELL!" I called out. The vorcha commander turned. "KEEP THEM BUSY! I'm going for Hurgott!"

The vorcha saluted with one of pistols and then whirled to reengage the foe. Blitzing forward biotically, I slashed left and right through the horde of altered vorcha that were now pouring down the valley.

 _How did this happen? The vorcha weren't ever even ALTERED in the game!_

 _How did I not see this coming?_

 _Indoctrinated Vorcha: please, Mother Above and Father Below, No! NOT AGAIN!_

Very soon, I was through the front ranks of the enemy, and through the thick jungle. I had found myself now at the mouth of the canyon. I could see a clear path leading in the direction our scouts had pointed out Quash's camp. Bracing myself, I charged forward, each stride carrying me twelve, fourteen, fifteen feet.

And the suddenly none.

MORE pain than Kevin had EVER felt struck him full-on in the chest. Lieutenant flew out of my hand, and I went flat on my ass. A solid, continuous beam was focusing on me, bringing with it pain and paralyzing muscle spasms. A second beam fired and connected with me, and then a third. Three krogan emerged from their hiding places in the rocks on either side of me, each holding a BIG ASS GUN. All of which were still firing a beam AT. ME.

I could not move.

I could not speak.

I could _barely_ breathe, the pain I was feeling was so great.

"TRUE TO FORM, SENESCHAL!"

A giant krogan strode forward, a massive old-school battle-axe across his shoulder.

"Your friends the Collectors predicted that, once you saw signs of Reapers, you'd charge forward to try and take me down yourself. And lo and behold, here you ARE!"

He nodded at his men, and the beams disengaged. Any relief I might have felt was negated by the devastating kick that he sent to my mid-section.

"YOU FOOL!" the warlord taunted. "Did you think you could take down ME so easily? ME? LORD QUASH HURGOTT? Did you think that I would simply roll over and die?"

More altered vorcha made their appearance along the top of the canyon, along with ten more or so krogan.

"I must thank you for bringing so many vorcha," Hurgott continued. "They will make fine additions to my new army."

"YOU… you don't…" I began, getting to my feet, but then the damned beams fired again, driving me back down to my knees.

"YOU like it?" laughed Hurgott. "Subduer Beams: another little gift from the Collectors _just for you._ "

" _HOW…_?" I managed to gasp through the pain.

"When you came up in the world, did you think that your rise would go unnoticed?" Lord Quash asked. "Did you think that we would just wait in fucking _line_ to be beaten by your army? I reached out to the one force that was MORE powerful than your pathetic CONCLAVE. And they delivered. OHHHHHH," he laughed, "DID THEY DELIVER!"

Another nod to his thugs to turn off the beams, and other savage kick to my few unbroken ribs was delivered. Only for the Subduer beams to resume their excruciating duty.

"I have studied your every battle, down to the minute details! Even archival footage from the last cycle! Every victory you have won for the past week, _I have_ allowed! ALL TO BRING YOU HERE, on your KNEES, BEFORE ME! I can predict your every move before YOU can, _Seneschal_. LOOK THEN UPON YOUR EXECUTIONER!"

The giant axe arced up and then came down. With a bone-jarring **JUUUUUNNNNNG** , the axe blade shattered and Lord Quash stumbled back on his ass in a very less-than-dignified manner. The green field around me flicked, and then disappeared as my arm lowered. It was eerily similar to the _Alarei_. I was very aware of the fact that I was no longer in control.

On the upside, the _blinding_ , seething pain was gone. The beams still striking me, flowing around and through me, I saw my body regain its feet. My hand rose, unbidden, glowing green. And suddenly, every Indoctrinated vorcha in sight began to float in the air, gasping and choking.

 _Uhhh…. Ko'le? Ko'le? KO'LE?_

"FUNNY, LORD," a dark voice echoed across the open canyon. "BUT in vain."

With a hideous **snap** , the vorcha around us suddenly convulsed and then went limp as each of their heads twisted into impossible angles. They fell back to the earth, lifeless corpses. The krogan warriors glanced back and forth at one another, clearly unnerved.

Lord Quash's eyes were wide, and he stared at the figure in front of him as he regained his feet.

" _Impossible…"_

"In vain," the voice repeated, and I simply observed, " _Seneschal_ not here. Voidwalker gone. You are stuck WITH BEAST!

And Beast… KILL."

He blitzed forward, driving a biotically-charged fist into the Lord Quash. The blow sent the warlord spinning back to the ground. One of the krogan, trying to keep the beam focused on me… him…. whatever, accidentally directed his weapon at Lord Quash. The single beam grazed the krogan warlord for only a second, but it was enough to cause the krogan to _scream_ in pain. The other two Subduer-wielding krogan shut their weapons off, for fear of friendly fire, switching to their trusty shotguns.

 _KILL! KILL! AND SLAY!_

No longer was Kevin Troy, the Voidwalker, in control.

No longer was the Imperator, Ko'le Seneschal, in control.

This was BEAST. Ravager of Morag. Slayer of Worlds, Destroyer of Fleets: a living breathing weapon. A maelstrom of destruction. A servant of DEATH.

Krogan warriors fired wildly at a target that was no longer there. The biotically-gifted amongst them sent warp and throw fields that connected with nothing but their own allies. And all the while a black-armored figure darted to and fro, leaving broken bodies and dismembered corpses in his wake. One krogan sent a fist at where Beast had been a moment before, only to discover that his arm had been pulled off his body at the shoulder.

And that Beast was beating him to death.

With his own arm.

One by one, the rifle, shotgun, sniper, and pistol fire slowed… and slowed…. And then fell silent. His lower jaw hanging from his skull, Hurgott was crawling towards one of the Subduer Beams. Limp hands grasped the controls, then fired at the approaching figure with a roar of triumph. The beam struck Beast in the chest, but with all the effect of a flashlight.

"YOU THINK THIS PAIN?" Beast taunted. He continued to stride forward, and then pulled the weapon from Hurgott's limp hands. Then 'Lord' Quash Hurgott found himself floating in the air, surrounded in a green biotic field.

"M-mmm—mmmm MERCY!" he blubbered, blood spurting with the word."

"YOU DO NOT KNOW PAIN," Beast _snarled_ , and the noise was more animal than human.

"LET ME SHOW YOU…."

Slowly… slowly… _ever_ so slowly, Quash Hurgott's armor began to buckle and bend as the biotic stasis field around him got smaller and smaller. His eyes wide with panic, Quash Hurgott began to plead for his life, but found that all four of his lungs were too compacted to make coherent words.

They could, however, generate a long, continuous scream of agony.

A few minutes later, Pyke Morell and Turro'le, leading the rest of the 1st Heshtok Irregulars, came upon the open clearing.

" _BY the Nesting Goddess_ …." Turro'le marveled, looking around the broken and mutilated bodies.

"FIND THE IMPERATOR!" Pyke barked, looking left and right.

In a few moments, one of the vorcha gave out a call of "SAR-JENT MAJOR!"

Turro'le and Morell ran over to the limp figure that was lying next to a perfectly-round ball of twisted metal… that happened to still be oozing blood.

"SERGEANT-MAJOR MORELL to Normandy! We need a MED-EVAC! NOW!"

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

 ***LAZARUS RESEARCH STATION*  
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION**

"…that's it…. Slowly now… slowly…"

ERROR. BREACH DETECTED.

BREACH DETECTED.

SHIP BURNING.

FIRE, FIRE EVERYWHERE.

 _Distress beacon is ready for launch._

 _Will the Alliance get here in time?_

 _The Alliance won't abandon us, Liara. We just need to hold on…_

 _Shepard? Shepard?_

"Shepard?"

My eyes slowly eased themselves open. A young woman with black hair was looking down on me. Her accent sounded… almost Australian.

"Can you hear me, Shepard?"

I nodded slowly.

"Positive on motor control," the woman said to an aide who was typing furiously on a datapad. I started to lift myself forward, but the woman's eyes went wide and her hands moved to stop me.

"Woah, woah! Not so fast?"

"WHAT…happened…. To my ship?"

My voice sounds strange and jarring in my head.

"Cognitive and memory functions seem normal. Speech patterns fully functional as well."

The Australian woman leans in.

"Shepard, you're in a medical facility. You are with _friends_ here. All your questions will be answered soon, I promise."

Her voice is calming. Soothing.

"My God…"

I look over to see a dark-skinned man enter the room. His eyes were wide open and his jaw was agape.

"Miranda… you did it…"

"Jacob, quit staring like an idiot and come _help,_ " 'Miranda' said.

'Jacob' suddenly snapped back to reality, running forward to offer an arm and a shoulder to help me sit up.

"Easy… easy…" he crooned.

His voice was kind, too. Gentle….

"Now," Miranda said, leaning down to look me in the face. "What do you remember, Rebecca Shepard?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thanks everybody for your patience! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Hopefully going to get at least a few in before the summer school session begins!**

 **As always, let me know what you think by leaving me a review or a PM!**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

KL StarBlaze, general-joseph-dickson, griezz1, 5 Coloured Walker, ChaosRonin, Nagato21, Zahkrii, Bearmauls, BJ Hanssen, Blaze1992, tamagat, Cptslapem, Squadpunk 2.0, LordGhostStriker, Berserker of Klyntar, spiral83, Hiei-Uchiha, - Yep. The council will most likely be very slow to forgive, after that shotgun to the face. However, there's something about giant squid-skyscrapers to put problems in perspective...

METALHELLSPWN – That scene with Green Goblin was actually one of my inspirations for that sequence, actually.

Lanilen – The Rachni and the Protheans have been intertwined since the beginning, and I think that's why they and Thorians are the strongest allies of the Protheans _now_ (next to maybe the Hanar).

KyuubiNodachi – Shep waking up is definitely going to open up a whole _NEW_ can of worms…

Toothless is best – Thanks for keeping me honest! ;P

pseudo41 – I disagree. As we've seen in this chapter, just because Ko'le solved some of the problems in ME2, just means that others have arisen. People respond to Ko'le actions, and now Shepard will have to deal with some of that fallout. There's a good deal of team-building left to do.

Jessetimm5491, shugokage, BrotherCaptainSheperd, Biorr the Old, Appbeza, Elvisfonz23, Lord Motem, redcollector, TheMysteriousOtaku, Kamika111, Asahar4, Guest, DOS73, Pietersielie, OSR fanatic, Guest, dragons guard, moosejuice5 – Thanks everybody!

YOU GUYS ROCK!

\- Tusken1602


	25. Chapter 25: Welcome Aboard, Commander

_**Pain.**_

 _ **Pain and suffering.**_

 _ **Always this has been our fate, Ko'le: To serve and to suffer. Why?**_

 _ **To what end?**_

 _-To survive, Beast. -_

 _=NO! To SAVE THEM! To SAVE the Universe!=_

 _-Kevin… the loop is closed. Our very existence proves that our plan has failed. If we succeeded, there would not have been a future out of which to pull us-_

 _=Wow. If I had a week, I couldn't list all the reasons why that statement is wrong…. =_

 _ **Why should we save any of them? They are nothing more than fictional characters in the world YOU came from. The ending of the Mass Effect 3 may have sucked, but at least it was an end. The Reapers will be defeated, with our without us.**_

 _=But Levi said…=_

 _-WHY SHOULD WE TRUST A GIANT TIME-TRAVELING CUTTLEFISH? HE had ANY time he could have intervened in! Why would he choose a twenty-five year old boy from Manassas, Virginia to throw into the Mass Effect Universe? Why didn't he choose someone from LAST cycle? Or the FIRST cycle? Why not defeat the Reapers before they were EVER MADE?! WHY US? WHY NOW?!-_

 _ **WHY?**_

 _-WHY?-_

 _ **WHY?**_

* * *

* **STARLIGHT STATION*  
IN ORBIT ABOVE KAHJE**

I could not _wait_ to get some god-damn answers.

Jacob had been helpful enough. He had come by and we had chatted about what had gone on while I had been on ice. A lot had happened.

A _whole lot_ had happened:

Apparently, Ko'le and his Conclave had reawakened Protheans, given the planet Ilos to the quarians as a new homeworld (in exchange for quarian membership in the Conclave), and eradicated piracy in the Terminus Systems.

All of this was on top of introducing the Thorians, the Rachni, the Raloi, and a rogue GETH faction to the rest of the galaxy.

Oh, yeah, and Ko'le private security force, the Immortals? They had now taken over Cerberus.

The same Cerberus that had _killed_ Admiral Kohoku, and was directly responsible for death of my squad-mates on Akuze.

Oh, yeah, Ko'le had a _lot_ of explaining to do. Especially since Miranda wasn't proving extremely talkative.

Oh, she was nice, all right, I don't mean she was a _total_ bitch. But there was a kind of stand-offish-ness to her, as well. If we were going to keep working together, she and I were going to have to have a talk.

Also, she would have to learn that "The Imperator will explain everything" was _not_ an acceptable answer to my questions anymore.

But now, here we were, riding the elevators up to the Imperator's Quarters here on Starlight Station. Have to say, Ko'le hadn't done badly for himself, if the gold-plated _everything_ on this station was any indication.

The doors opened, and a young drell was standing behind the desk.

"Director Lawson…" he began, getting to his feet.

"We're expected, Krios," Miranda said dismissively.

"But ma'am…"

"We're _expected…._ "

"He's NOT WELL!" Krios said desperately, panic breaking through his demeanor.

Miranda paused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Is he sick?" I asked.

"No, ma'am…uh….ma'ams…" Krios answered, looking horribly uncomfortable. "Just that… ever since the mission to Heshtok… he's… he's… not been himself. He's babbling to himself, having conversations with people who _aren't there_. Something's _wrong_ …. He asked me to send for General Javik. And he was _scared_. Very SCARED. I've never seen him scared before…."

Miranda nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you, Private Krios," she said. "Send Javik in when he arrives."

"Yes, ma'am."

Miranda looked back at me.

"What do you make of it?" I asked. "'Scared' doesn't sound like the Ko'le I knew."

"Nor the one I knew," agreed Miranda. "Let's go get our answers from the source, shall we?"

The doors opened to reveal a dark room, illuminated only by the sunlight coming in from the massive windows on one side of it. A lone figure stood in front of the window, hands crossed behind his back. From his dreads alone, I could have recognized him.

"Ko'le?" I said gently, as the doors closed behind us.

"LIGHTS," the figure said loudly, causing Miranda and I to start. The lights in the room came on, brightening up the whole place. Ko'le turned his head, and then whirled around to face us.

"Welcome back, Shepard," he said walking forward. That warm smile of his lit up his face, and I couldn't help returning it. He opened his arms wide. "It's so good to see….."

Suddenly, pain twisted his features into an anguished sob, and he went to one knee. Miranda and I started forward to help him, but then suddenly he looked up at us.

And his eyes were glowing white.

"OH MY GOD," he said, but his voice was… _different_ somehow. "Shepard… you're back already? Wow… no scarring on her face…. Way earlier than the game…"

"Uhh… what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Two years, 3 months, eight days," Ko'le continued, "That's how long it takes… that's how long it took…"

"Ko'le, what are you saying?" Miranda asked, slowly walking forward still.

Ko'le's eyes went back to their normal state and he straightened up back to his normal self.

"It's good to see you back, old friend," he said, that _different_ lilt to his voice gone. "We will need you in the fight that is to come."

"And what fight is that?" I asked, still trying to grasp what the hell was going on.

Ko'le's eyes went pitch black, right in front of us.

" **The only fight that matters,"** a VERY different voice spoke. **"The Fallen come. Beast kill, but they come again. Rise again, kill again. Beast hunts. BEAST KILLS!"**

Ko'le's green-black biotics swirled around him. Miranda flared her own biotics and stepped in between Ko'le and I as I stepped back, somewhat in shock.

"Ok… who are you, and what have you done with Ko'le?" she demanded. I reached to the small of my back, my pistol deploying. I didn't know what was going on, exactly, but _that_ wasn't the Ko'le I knew or remembered.

The eyes went back to normal, and Ko'le started panting hard. Only now did I notice the sweat pouring down his forehead and face.

"You… should go… Miranda…. Shepard…. Until I can… find… some way to fix this… I mean… him… I mean, us… Dammit!"

"Fix _WHAT_?" Miranda asked.

"Ko'le, what's going on?" I asked. "How can we help?"

The eyes turned white again.

"We are… They are… fighting for control…" the _other_ voice said.

 _Was that a kid's voice?_ I thought, but then the door opened behind us. I turned, and got one of the biggest shocks of my life:

A four-eyed alien with a lobster's head was walking towards us, in armor that matched Ko'le's, except it was red where Ko'le's was black.

"What is going on here?" he demanded. His Basic almost had a… Jamaican accent. It threw me off for a second, but Miranda answered.

"Ko'le's not well," she said. "There's someone else in there with him. At least _two_ someones."

The alien narrowed his eyes, then turned to Ko'le.

"Brother, what ails?" he asked, genuine concern and worry in his voice.

Ko'le's eyes went back to normal.

" _Brother_ ," he panted, straining with each word. " _Lock. Him. Down."_

"Who?"

The eyes went black again.

" **BEAST!"**

All four of the alien's eyes went wide, and unmasked _fear_ , bordering on _terror_ , came across his expression for a second. Then he stood back, flaring his biotics and _his eyes_ turned white.

" _EEH DECUOM NOS MEH!"_ he bellowed, raising a hand palm-first toward Ko'le.

Ko'le's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed, unconscious. There was a moment when we were all looking back and forth at one another.

"Ok… what the hell just happened?" I finally asked. "And who the hell are you?"

"General Javik, Commander Shepard," introduced Miranda. "Shepard, this General Javik of the Reborn Protheans.

 _A living, breathing Prothean. Liara would love this…_

"Javik."

"Commander," Javik said, returning my nod. "Ko'le has spoken highly of you. I hope you are worth the _considerable_ resources he expended to bring you back."

"What is wrong with Ko'le?" I asked. "What did you _do_ to him?"

Javik sighed, as if weighing whether or not to trust me. Then apparently he made up his mind.

"Ko'le possesses two distinct personalities, Commander. One is the commander, _Seneschal_ , and brother we both know and have fought alongside. But… before that… he was Beast. You have been to your… Mars Archives?"

"Yes," I confirmed, "With Ko'le, actually."

Javik's eyes widened in surprise.

"Indeed? I am surprised he was able to go there again. Yes… that is where Beast was born. A living weapon to be pointed at the Reapers and expended. Very few knew the Master Words to arm and disarm that weapon. I am the only one to survive the Great Sleep."

"Is he going to be ok?" I asked. "I have a _lot_ of questions that I'm told only he can answer."

"I can imagine, Commander," Javik said, and his tone was gentler, almost soothing. "But I do not know who will awaken from the slumber I have placed him in: Ko'le, or Beast. And you said there was a third?" he asked turning to Miranda.

"That seemed to be the case," Miranda said, still looking down at Ko'le. "He said 'they' were fighting for control, as if there were at least two more personalities in there with him."

"What do we do with him in the meantime?" I asked.

Javik rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If Ko'le is fighting his own mind, there is only one being in the galaxy who could help him. The Mind-Healers of Thoros were famous for their abilities to fight Reaper-damaged minds. There is now only one Thorian left on that planet, as I understand."

"Protector-of-the-Weak," I agreed, shuddering internally at the memory, "We've met."

Javik _almost_ grinned.

"So I have heard. It is past time that _I_ meet him as well, then."

Suddenly, a button on Ko'le's desk started beeping and flashing. Miranda strode over and looked over at Javik, who nodded, lifting Ko'le up with his biotics. Taking him in his arms, he walked out of the doors, calling for Private Krios. The doors closed, and Miranda hit the flashing button. A holographic image of a seated man appeared on the far side of the room.

 _No…. not him._

"Director Lawson, good to see you again," General Oleg Petrovsky said warmly.

"General," Miranda replied, nodding. Her whole demeanor had suddenly gone cold and distinctly professional.

"And Commander Shepard," he said turning to me. "You have no idea how relieved I am to see you standing there. It's been… a long time"

"General Petrovsky," I answered, throwing a salute out of plain muscle-memory habit. "I hadn't heard that you had joined the Conclave, sir."

"Your friend Ko'le convinced me to… come out of retirement," Petrovsky said, smiling. "I wanted to talk to you about your next steps and introduce you to Operation Awakening."

"Sir," Miranda objected. "Operation Awakening is under the purview of the office of _Imperator_. Perhaps we should wait until Imperator Ko'le…"

"Imperator Ko'le called me just moments ago, Director," Petrovsky soothed. "Directive 314 has been initiated."

A document appeared on the left hand side of the screen.

"It bears the signatures of all the Circle members. As of two hours ago, the office of _interim_ Imperator has fallen to me, in Ko'le's absence. He informed us that his injuries on Heshtok were more serious than first anticipated. Until his return, all files and operation reports have been forwarded to me."

Miranda stiffened, then nodded.

"Very good, sir. I will await your orders."

"Thank you, Miss Lawson," Petrovsky said. "Can you give Commander Shepard and I the room?"

Miranda nodded, then turned to me.

"I'll be right outside," she murmured, and then left via the double doors. I turned back to the general.

"You doubtless have many questions on your mind, Commander," Petrovsky said. "I may not have Ko'le's unique insight into all of them, but please, how can I help?"

I took a deep breath.

 _Ok… here we go._

"Why am I back?"

Petrovsky's eyebrows raised.

"The most important question first: I'm impressed. The simple answer is: we are at war. No one wants to admit it openly, outside of the Conclave, but humanity is under attack. While you've been sleeping, human colonies have been disappearing across the Terminus Systems. _Entire_ colonies, gone without a trace."

"Slavers?"

"That's what we thought originally, too, but the methodology is all wrong. We now believe it's someone working with the Reapers. Just as Saren and the geth aided Sovereign. You've seen it yourself. You've bested all of them. That's why Ko'le and the Circle chose to bring you back. We _need_ you, Commander: Again."

"If human colonies are being attacked," I said, my mind racing, "then the Alliance needs to know."

"The Alliance is well-informed," Petrovsky answered, "Ko'le saw to that. But their precarious position as the newest members of the Council have tied their hands to the point of inaction. They dare not deploy their fleets so close to batarian space. Not without provoking an all-out war."

"Let me talk to them," I said. "I've gotten in and out of worse situations before. If I can reinstated as a Spectre…"

"You'd be dragged along the entirety of Council Space on a goodwill publicity tour: Shepard, the Spectre who Beat Death," Petrovsky disparaged. "You know it, and I know it."

The sinking feeling in my gut told me that I did.

"What about my crew? If I can get them together…"

"I will forward you all the dossiers that I have on them," Petrovsky nodded. "In the meantime, go and see for yourself. I have ordered your ship to be ready to take you to Singapore Nova, the latest colony to be abducted. Miranda and Jacob will brief you."

"Is that an order, General?" I asked, my inner snark showing _just_ a bit. "Cause it's been a long time since Torfan."

Petrovsky smiled, and shook his head. "You always have a choice, Shepard. If you don't find the evidence we're both looking for, you are free to take the ship to any destination you wish: the Citadel, Earth…anywhere."

"And what ship have you stuck me with?" I asked, feeling the _Normandy_ 's loss for the first time.

"Far be it from me to spoil the surprise," Petrovsky said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Go down to the docking bay and see for yourself. Oh, and Ko'le did manage to find a pilot you might like. I hear he's one of the best. Someone you _can_ trust."

The doors opened, and I turned to look.

Joker Moreau stood there, grinning from ear to ear.

I looked back at Petrovsky, but he had already cut the connection.

"Hey, Commander," _that_ voice said. That voice I didn't even _know_ I had missed. "Just like old times, huh?"

"JOKER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I yelled, running towards him. Suddenly he had a panicked expression on his face and he raised his hands.

"Watch the bones, watch the bones ohgodwatchthebones…."

I pulled myself to an abrupt stop at the last minute, and _gently_ put my hand on his shoulder.

"I can't believe you're here… that it's really you…"

"Look who's talking," he snarked back. "I saw you get _spaced._ "

"I got lucky," I shrugged, "With a lot of strings attached… How'd you get here?"

Miranda and Jacob joined us from the lobby, and we were taking an elevator ride back down to the docking bay. Joker and I were still talking about the crew, while Miranda and Jacob looked slightly awkwardly like third and fourth wheels. But I didn't care at the moment. Apparently everything I had tried to stir up had been wiped aside by the council. My team had been broken up, all records of the Reapers or _Sovereign_ being anything other than a geth ship had been sealed. And Joker had been grounded. Until Ko'le had sent Tali to come and get him.

"I mean, who were they going to get to fly her besides me?" he asked, with Miranda sighing in resignation in reply. He just grinned in answer.

"Wait, to fly _who?"_ I asked, just as the elevator doors opened.

"Her."

The _Normandy_ lay spread out in front of us. But this one was… bigger. Almost a _frigate_ , rather than the small _SR-1_ corvette.

Miranda and Jacob were smiling at my shocked expression.

"Commander," Jacob said, "May I present: the _Normandy SR-2."_

"The _fuuuuuuuuck?"_ I thought, and must have said it out loud, because Joker answered, "I know, right? And she flies like a _dream!_ I mean, her banking time is still shit, but I'm working on a booster algorithm to improve that…"

Frankly, I didn't hear a word that he said after that. I walked down the gangplank, almost in a daze. As I approached the door, they opened, and I saw a gold orb on the wall appear. A woman's voice echoed over the ships PA systems.

" **PIPING ABOARD COMMANDER REBECCA SHEPARD. ALL COMMAND CODES TRANSFERRED. IMPERATOR KO'LE STANDS RELEIVED.**

 **WELCOME ABOARD THE NORMANDY, COMMANDER."**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Aaaaand that's the conclusion to** **Beacon's Effect 2: Reborn** **, everyone! Thank you so much for all of you who've been so supportive and so patient with me in all of my ups and downs. I will be posting THIS SAME CHAPTER as the FIRST chapter of** **Beacon's Effect 3: Awakening** **, which will be going over the events of Mass Effect 2 (altered, of course, by the efforts of everyone's favorite Seneschal).**

 **A lot of you have been PM'ing me asking for more perspectives in** **Awakening** **, and I have answered with this chapter being from Shepard's POV. What do you guys think? Would you like to see** **Awakening** **from Shepard's POV, with Ko'le of course interacting with her, or stay with Ko'le's POV? Or a combination of both? Review, PM me, you know what to do!**

 **Thanks so much, everybody! Keep reading and I hope that you will all follow along with Kevin/Ko'le's continuing adventures! The REAPERS ARE COMING!**

 **I've said it, I say it, and I always will say it: You. Guys. Rock!**

* * *

Reviewer Responses:

griezz1 – Yep, Rebecca has a WHOLE bunch of surprises still in store for her, and an entire crew to gather before taking the fight to the Collectors.

Blaze1992 – I consider the Raloi and Turro'le more of a tribute to the Arakkoa, rather than the Na'vi.

Nagato21, BrotherCaptainSheperd, Berserker of Klyntar, dekuton, tamagat, Biorr the Old, METALHELLSPWN, Guest, swedish nerd – Yep, Kevin/Ko'le/Beast's multiple personalities are beginning to crumble into one another. And the image of a previously OP Ko'le begins to fall apart. That is an issue that will be addressed in the sequel.

5 Coloured Walker – Three words: Blood. DRAGON. Armor. Lol

Tahkaullus01, Cptslapem, Lord Mortem, TheFoolishDreamer – Jane and Rebecca's interaction will definitely be fun. I'm excited to be writing it…

Vo0d0o-D0L – As you can see, Javik was f-ing _terrified_ of Beast.

dragons guard - *EVIL LAUGH*

general-joseph-dickson, I-Y-T-Y, Elvisfonz23, Squadpunk 2.0, Toothless is best, Guest, vampireharry the 2, Jim – Thanks so much, you guys! Your words keep me going and inspire me to do better! ROCK ON!


End file.
